I know we often feel like this, but how do we maintain a high performance work environment? Read on to find out what we found...

“You can only do so much with salary,” says global architecture and design firm Gensler, in their 2008 Workplace survey. “High-performing companies, the ones with high profits, strong brand positioning, and better employee engagement, are the ones that have the highest-performing workplaces,” the study said.

So, what exactly does a high-performing business workplace look like? Steelcase researchers agree that Generation-Y workers seem to know, as do Baby Boomers, who are slowly picking up their values from the younger set, this kind of business setting allows for four basic elements to come together and happen at any time:

1. Focus – Concentrating on “head down” work.
2. Collaboration – Working with other people to achieve a goal.
3. Learning – Building knowledge through education or experience.
4. Socialization – Interacting interpersonally with others.

What’s being seen is that the importance placed on a company’s size, brand image, and history is shifting to how well the business can support a worker’s preferred working style, how much they can learn, and how well it supports work/life integration. In other words, a business’ physical workplace has to get better at allowing the people in it to learn, create, and innovate.

How does that happen? We’ve found that a range of work settings is key. The ones that are the most effective support all of the four personal work modes above. Some ideas might be as easy as installing outlets around the office with seating to allow employees to plug in their computers and congregate, or by using Media:Scape technology in your conference rooms.

Skeptics may say that a changing business’ office characteristics isn’t the only way to building a high-performance company, but we feel that it’s certainly key to surmounting the challenge, which is why we’ve made a range of products such as cobi, i2i, and c:scape that attempt to do just that.

Backed up by data that you can find on our Come Together website, we’ve seen that the environmental aspects of work reinforces a company’s values – by paying attention to how you’re communicating access, openness, and free communication to your employees, you’ll be well on your way to enhanced performance.

So, are you a filer or a piler? Steelcase researchers have found that nearly half of the US workforce falls into one of those two groups, in a semi-annual workplace survey. The rest? Call them neat freaks, pack rats, or (gasp) slobs.

Over the course of the survey, it was found that women fall more toward the upper extreme, with 40% considering themselves neat freaks. There was evidence that lent credibility to why 75% of men weren’t; lack of elbow room might play a role in why workplace organization has become a challenge.

Researchers discovered that while team meeting spaces have increased in size (great for collaboration), individual work spaces have decreased (not so good for “head-down” work). Other take-aways from the study showed that younger workers considered themselves neater – 18 to 34 year olds ranked themselves 40%, with 55 and older at 37%.

What kind of organization type to you think you are? What about your office? Is your space clean and spartan like Facebook, or do you lean more toward organized chaos like Al Gore?

Show us! Upload photos of your work space!

Working from home can be a blessing and a curse. In some, a change of scenery helps them concentrate better, get more work done, and boost their creativity. On the other hand, others that we’ve talked to say that it does the exact opposite.

Whatever side of the coin you’re on, a good time management plan really minimizes the negatives and amplifies the positives of working from home. Here are ten of our favorite tips paraphrased from ZenHabits.com:

1. Set a morning routine – shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, or do it all in reverse, it’s the structure that helps get you going for the day.

2. Put together a daily work schedule – try to check and respond to emails at the same time and try to be “working” during the same time period each day (even if you’re watching
Good Morning America) – this will allow coworkers to get in contact with you, and help you to not miss anything!

3. At the end of the day, clean up! – There’s nothing worse then feeling like you should be doing more work when the work day’s over with. Plus, it’ll help you to feel fresh the next morning, too.

4. Go outside for a bit – Take in a little bit of the “secret life of daytime” that you’ve been missing by toiling in the office! It’ll keep you happy and refreshed.

5. No friends during work time – Having visitors is really sweet, but sometimes you just need to crank some work out, and they end up being a distraction. We think that time you set aside for work is perfect for just that, so no friends (unless they’re delivering a pizza).

6. Dress up a little – Pajamas are great and comfortable, but let’s be honest- have you ever felt like doing anything besides sleeping and watching the Price is Right while wearing them? Me either.

7. Music, or none, matters – Whatever you’re listening to, whether it’s NPR, Britney Spears, or Depeche Mode, influences your mood – make sure that you’re putting yourself in a great frame of mind for whatever the job is that you’re doing.

8. TV will screw you up – A little bit of TV is great, especially if you’re waiting to catch the highlights of the Yankee game, but if you’re not careful, you’ll end up watching the Orioles, Red Sox, Tigers, and Mike Tyson fight, too.

9. Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow – Fleetwood Mac jokes aside, having a to-do list for the next day with three things you need to do and three things that aren’t essential but need to be done will help you clear things up before you quit working for the day.

10. Coffee, yes please! – Make sure to use all the conveniences of home to your advantage. It’s relaxing, and you’ll be able to rub it in to your office coworkers that you made yourself some fresh juice or a double mocha latte, too!

Don’t count out the advantages of having a good ergonomic office chair either- our Cobi or Amia would fit perfectly in any home office!

Have you ever noticed that certain environments actually boost your productivity? Have you ever walked into a room and felt unexplainably happier? Our physical environment can have a significant impact on us, both consciously and subconsciously.

Since most of us spend a minimum of 40 hours a week at work, it’s worthwhile taking a look around the office to see if the environment is actually encouraging high performance or simply providing a functional work setting.

Privacy/Confidentiality
Even if we’re not blessed with a secluded office, four walls and a door, most of us still appreciate at least a minimal amount of privacy. Being constantly on display can discourage risk-taking and limit creativity. Additionally, if you find yourself working on sensitive or confidential projects, a lack of privacy can cause undue anxiety as you attempt to keep things “under wraps.”

Consider your tasks and personal preferences. Does your environment provide adequate privacy?

Supporting Diverse Work Styles
It’s rare to find a group of people who share identical work styles. More often, you’ll find entire offices where no two people are alike. Some enjoy an energetic, vibrant atmosphere, while others are easily distracted and prefer silence. Some multi-task as a way of life; others focus solely on one thing, and then methodically shift their attention to the next. A strong work environment should be able to accommodate everyone. An environment that forces you to change your personal style is only harming productivity.

Consider your personal work style. How is it similar to – or different from – that of your coworkers? Does your physical environment support everyone equally?

Inspiration
You don’t have to work in a museum to find inspiration around you. Inspiration can be found in something as simple as a nice piece of art on the wall, a thriving plant, or a funky furniture design. Color, lighting and material all make a big difference in the overall look and feel of a room. Drab, boring surfaces lead to drab, boring interactions. Physical clutter begets mental clutter. If you’re looking to feel inspired and motivated in the office, your environment needs to be a physical reflection of all that you find inspirational.

What inspires you? Nature? Family? Art? Does your physical environment at the office reflect these things?

Collaboration Space
It’s rare to find any business that cherishes individual work over collaboration. And yet, many offices are set up with a sole focus on the individual and provide limited space for team collaboration. I’ve seen entire groups of people huddle into one cubicle for team meetings. Offices like this are perfect examples of environments that don’t support productivity. Effective collaboration requires ample space for groups to gather comfortably and appropriate tools for collecting the ideas produced (such as whiteboards).

Does your office support or stifle a collaborative approach?

Getaway Space
The ability to just get away from work – while still being in the office – is a necessity for many of us. Breaks help keep productivity levels high; they allow you to decompress, gather your thoughts, and find your second wind. A nicely furnished, spacious break room can be a relaxing sanctuary that everyone in the office can enjoy. However, all too often break rooms are messy, out-dated, and generally unpleasant. Without a convenient and comfortable break area, many of us fail to take the necessary down time that would help us maintain productivity throughout the day.

Does your office provide space to get away? More importantly, is it a space you actually want to spend time in?

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Republished from our friends at Office Arrow

When I was a kid, I refused to let the different types of food on my plate touch each other. No peas in my mashed potatoes!

For a while, as an adult, I actually tried to do the same thing, creating a proverbial “divided plate” to separate the various components of my world. No work at home! No home at work! But, you know what? That’s just not realistic. Sadly, they don’t make those cute plastic plates for life…

You Can Run, but You Can’t Hide

In today’s world, the lines between work and life have blurred for two obvious reasons:

• Technology. With Smartphones, email and Instant Messenger, we’re always reachable. Private networks, remote computer access and collaboration tools mean we’re never more than a mouse-click away from our offices.


• Expanded Hours. Research shows that the average American work week is 54 hours. In an average week, only 14 percent of us work 40 hours or less.

I’m not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing; it’s just the pace of the world in which we live. But it does mean we have to change the way we think about the separation between work and life. Instead of viewing them as opposing forces, we need to focus on work-life integration.

We should start by asking ourselves: What kind of environment can we create at home and at work to maximize our productivity – and ultimately, our satisfaction – with both?

For one thing, we can stop thinking of “the office” as a boring, stiff, drab place where fluorescent lights flicker and the smell of burnt coffee fills the air. We spend far too much time at the office to be surrounded by such unpleasantness.

And let’s start creating a home office that helps facilitate productivity, so that – when we have to bring work home – it’s comfortable. Yes, office furniture can be both stylish and functional. You don’t have to hide it away in a back room somewhere.

Here’s the good news: We are beginning to catch on. We have created the new brand Coalesse specifically to reflect this new “integrated” work-life reality.

“Coalesse is about a belief that the boundaries between work and life have blurred. With products that fit as naturally in to the office as the living room, Coalesse focuses on the increasingly growing similarities between work and life.”

Office furniture – whether at home or at work – no longer has to be dominated with harsh lines and glaring surfaces. Instead, it can be full of chic, modern designs that reflect the way we really live.

Work is all around us. And so is life. Why not create an environment that respects both?

Are your worlds blending? If so, check out the Coalesse brand by Steelcase to create your perfect space.

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Republished from our friends at Office Arrow