Something is not quite right, not as it should be at the office. It has lost its sparkle, people are not engaging and do not want to be there, but you cannot put your finger on what the problem is other than employee morale is at an all time low and productivity has stalled.

© Mrs. Gemstone

May 2012 – An Office Anywhere – the office atmosphere is sub-zero; everything seems quiet, flat and dull. The workforce is just as drab as the environment; everyone stays in his own workspace, moving paper from one pile to another with one eye on the clock, waiting for it to be time to go home.

Lunchtime comes and goes, individuals and the occasional group go out to grab sandwiches but other than that, the workforce rarely mixes. If they encounter a peer, or even worse, a superior, outside of the office they take elaborate evasive manoeuvres to avoid each other.

Although not all of us have experienced such grim conditions, we are all familiar with this type of environment and the behaviours that it encourages. It is easy for an office to sink slowly into a state of malaise. This more often than not leads to lack of motivation, increased absenteeism, loss of productivity, reduction in employee loyalty, and an increase in staff turnover. This has a huge knock on effect on the businesses financial performance.

You might have tried to be the heart and soul of the office or the nurturing mother figure, but nothing seems to work. Whatever you do, the conditions as a whole will cancel out your efforts, which is why you want to shake things up to get a spark of life back into the office.

© Google

Laid back, high-performing team based business cultures, where everyone wants to work, put a great deal of credence in the adage that “a family that eats together stays together”. The likes of Google go that extra mile for their employees and make sure that the environment and atmosphere that their staff work in is as inclusive, collaborative and as social as possible.

Luckily, you do not need the deep pockets that Google has in order to start fostering the same kind of culture. You can make some straightforward changes that will help to address the issues, which will help to perk things up. Most of the solutions are tax deductible. They will not affect the employee’s taxes either. The company accountant will be able to advise you on this.

One of the simplest changes to make that will promote bonding between the employees is to provide a communal eating space and break room that everyone is encouraged to use.

On top of that and this is the critical bit, you should look to keep the space stocked with snacks and drinks for your employees. Lunches are also of benefit because they will encourage people to chat, come up with ideas and collaborate whilst they are eating together. Bonds and cross team relationships that did not have the opportunity to form before will begin to bloom. It takes a little time but the result is worth it.

© Google

Setting up the room could not be easier. Provide fridges stocked with juices and soft drinks; a water cooler; decent tea and coffee-making facilities – a machine is a much easier option to maintain than having kettles and ingredients lying around. Snacks ideally would be in the form of plenty of fresh fruits and other items such as biscuits, chips, cakes, yoghurts and cereals.  Candy can also make a lovely addition both to the break room and even scattered about the office or reception area in decorative dishes or jars – look out for lollipops and jellybeans, which are popular choices.

Having a regular beer together can also help to break down barriers. One top idea is to set a couple of hours aside on a Friday afternoon – this does not have to be every Friday afternoon, but it should be a regular-scheduled event – for beers in the office with snacks. This will allow

© Jerry Bunkers

employees to socialise within the office environment again also providing the opportunity to discuss ideas and collaborate in a safe and informal atmosphere.

Changing the office environment and culture by providing these types of benefits and facilities in the workplace have a proven track record. They increase morale and loyalty to the business, which increases motivation, creativity and productivity. These in turn have a direct impact on the businesses bottom line.

Additional Resources:

How “Eating” And Organizational Success Are Related  – by Bruce L. Katcher, Ph.D. President, Discovery Surveys, Inc.

In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives - by Steven Levy (Chapter Three – P121 – Don’t be Evil – How Google Built its Culture)

Australian – Guide to Fringe Benefits

UK –  HMRC Guide to Benefits in Kind

USA – IRS Guide to Fringe Benefits

Have you ever found yourself in a business meeting or at an event, listening to someone speak, but not hearing what they have to say? You’re just going through the motions in order to get through the meeting, seminar or conference. Sometimes we make a snap judgement about what is or is not of interest to us and then we promptly tune out. Preconceived ideas are a dangerous animal. It’s not an easy one to admit to but I am pretty sure that it is something that we are all guilty of, at least occasionally!

Our Habit Of Forming Preconceived Ideas Starts Early In Life

It starts quite early in childhood. Toddlers do it, then there is teenage belligerence.Both are learned behaviours, quite often ones that relate to the need for attention even if the result is negative attention. Getting through those years intact and sane is a miracle. I was a pretty contrary teenager, if my mother or another significant person in my life liked something, then, for a period, I took the opposite position.

That period ended when I realized that I was the one that was suffering. I was merely cutting my nose off to spite my face. No one else, least of all my mother, cared whether I ate zucchini. I actually waged a war over the eating of zucchini, and when I think about that now, I just cringe because it was a very close-minded thing to do. I was not open to other people’s points of view and I dread to think how many opportunities to learn something were missed along the way.

Sometimes We Need A Little Reminder

Daniel, the creative partner at Indigo Girl, and I were discussing Sylvester Stallone a few months ago, the longevity of his career and brand prominence. As the discussion continued, it became apparent that Daniel saw something that I didn’t. Sylvester Stallone was one of those things that I had become contrary about as a teenager, my mother admired him and my now ex-husband was nicknamed “Rambo”. Poor old Sylvester didn’t stand a chance. I’d done myself a disservice. I hadn’t seen Rambo or Rocky but I had very distinct and entrenched opinions about both. I completely dismissed them out of hand, for all the wrong reasons and without any basis for doing so because I had not seen them.

And so the Rambo and Rocky marathons commenced. I was blown away. Rambo was not even about what I thought it was about – watching the Rambo series was a journey in itself. They were not testosterone laddened films that glorified violence but thought provoking, well written narratives that speak to many of the issues that faced our society back then and are still highly relevant today. I enjoyed all of the Rambo films and I would say that they stand shoulder to shoulder with the film that I tend to judge conflict films by – The Killing Fields. Rocky was a different story all together, I’ve only watched the first three so far. They are no doubt beautifully written and well shot but I did not take to the storyline of the first film at all. So no, I don’t like Rocky as much but now I have a sound basis for being able to make that judgement. Shedding my preconceived ideas allowed me to enjoy some amazing pieces of cinema history and I learned a thing or two about myself and the world along the way.

So Why Do We Need To Challenge This Especially In Business

This translates well to the business arena. To move your business forward and to stop it from stagnating you have to challenge your preconceived ideas about everything – people, processes, products and most importantly your ideas of how things should be done. We live in a rapidly changing world. Nothing stands still and you cannot afford to either. When building and reviewing your business strategies don’t discount any avenues at first, nothing should be off the table until you are able to make a well-considered decisions about them.

I strive to be as open as possible; I monitor myself and try to stop myself from being closed-minded, heading myself off at the pass. And if I am having one of those days when I know that I am less than enthused about a task or event then I incentivise myself with the promise of a visit to Starbucks afterwards or something else equally as delightful.

So, whilst you are at a meeting, reviewing your business strategies and personal development plans, take yourself out of your comfort zone. Don’t throw caution to the wind but become that cautiously open minded leader that you need to be in order to reach your goals.