What are the essential components to achieving a successful long-lasting business?
A clear objective, proper planning and execution, effective management, sound organization, and adequate finances.
But there is something often overlooked or not stated – a happy work environment for the employees, because it is they who make or break an organization.
A working environment that promotes creativity, achieved only when there is peace of mind.
This International Week of Happiness, learn a few tips and tricks with Graana.com to cultivate a happy workplace environment for your employees and ensure the longevity of your business.
Make your office space breathable
It is essential to make the workplace clean and comfortable.
In order to make the workspaces breathable, declutter, get rid of broken equipment, and incorporate economical but comfortable furniture. Make sure to keep the space open, creating opportunities for movements for the employees to walk around freely when they hit a productivity wall.
Your staff will not only appreciate that their well-being is being considered a priority, but comfortable spaces will energetically and positively affect the employees.
Light it up
To light up the rooms, along with the productivity of the employees, it is essential to use the right lights in the office space.
Lighting can affect everything, from workplace safety to productivity to mental health.
For a happier environment utilize natural daylight, as it helps offices look instantly brighter, bigger and more welcoming. Natural light in workspaces help employees feel more connected to the outside world, whilst being able to work comfortably indoors.
It is a sustainable option that helps cut out energy costs.
Another option to ensure better light and a better mood in workspaces is through the use of LED light bulbs. Not only are they cost-effective, but also a long-term solution, and a comfortable option to boost the productivity of the employees in the office.
Colour pop
Colour affects us in ways we may not know. Depending on age, gender, ethnic background, and climate, certain colours, variations, and tones greatly influences our moods and our thoughts.
This is why it’s crucial to choose colours wisely when it comes to setting up offices. Not only does it set the tone of the place, but also impacts the moods of the employees.
Before unveiling which mood different colours bring out, it is imperative to understand two principles of colour;
- Warmer colours, tones, and variations create an uplifting environment, whereas cooler tones implement a more calming effect.
- The colour has to stand out to affect the mood.
Here is how different colours affect the psyche of an employee in a workspace;
- Red – The colour our eyes draw out first in a room is red. Denoting a fiery element, the overpowering colour represents high energy, exciting emotion, and passion.
A fun fact to remember about this colour is that it stimulates appetite. - Blue – This light undertone possesses the charm to create a calming effect and initiate feelings of relaxation and healing.
This colour effectively helps by balancing hyperactivity, promoting imagination, and intuitive thinking, by creating a soothing environment. - Yellow – The colour that captures the happiness and communicates joyfulness. The cherry colour transmits brightness, an optimistic attitude, and promotes mental clarity.
It helps creativity through clear and upbeat thinking and helps in easing depression by encouraging laughter. - Green – The tremendously pleasing colour Green possesses great qualities, invoking feelings of refreshment and bring peace. By renewing balance, the harmonizing colour encourages tolerance and understanding.
The refreshing colour creates an efficient atmosphere and improves the vision. - Orange – Another loud colour that translates feelings of excitement and enthusiasm. Regarded as the colour of fun and sociability, the orange colour increases energy levels.
- Purple – This colour stimulates the problem-solving areas of our brains and promotes creativity and intuition.
By balancing spirit and matter, it uplifts the mood by creating an environment that helps us gain a feeling of completeness and fulfilment. - White – This colour is usually associated with cleanliness but can be uninspiring to be used in workspaces. Regardless, it is a popular choice as a base colour in many offices.
Go Green
On average, a person spends between 63-80 hours of their week in the offices.
The time left is utilized to recover, and convince yourself to spend the same amount, more or less, in the space place. This usually leaves one with a desperate urge to run outside.
A simple solution to combat these feelings is indoor plants. This will not only add colour to space but bring about freshness in the surroundings. On top of all this, plants cleanse the air of carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, helping you relax while at work.
Personalized workspaces
The employees spend their time at their workstations.
So let them decorate their workspaces in ways that are personal and appealing to them. This may include decorating their cubicle work-desks or departments altogether with personal photos, plants, desk lamps, or posters.
Giving them the liberty to decorate their spaces ensures a sense of pride, extending to everything they do at work.
Team-building activities
A change of pace is always considered fun and refreshing.
Promote team-building activities, both inside and outside offices and workplace. This gives the employees a sense of familial bonding with fellow colleagues. This can be achieved by celebrating birthdays, going out for lunches or dinners, and/or other events together.
Not only inter-department, but intra-departmental team-building activities should be promoted by the organizations.
To achieve this, set up designated areas in the offices e.g. collaborative zones, common rooms, meeting rooms, and especially private zones so that employees can work on their most essential tasks quietly and in peace.
