Why a Change of Scenery Will Do You (and Your Business) Good
You’ve worked hard to build a positive, collaborative culture in your office and your team enjoy turning up each day, motivated in their roles to work hard. Fantastic. But how do you ensure this energy and enthusiasm lasts month in, month out, year on year?
As your business grows, or possibly at times declines, and is affected by micro and macro factors, such as a valued member of staff moving on, or a change in the economy, you’ll want to do everything you can to continually build upon that culture you’re worked so hard to cultivate. Mixing up your work environment both inside or out of the office can have so many benefits for the individual and for your team and business as a whole. Below we’ve highlighted why a change of scenery will do you and your business good.
Truly be one team
Twice a year, consider moving everyone into different desks, and organising the seating arrangements, inter-departmentally. Rather than having all of your account managers, or your IT team sat together, mix people up so that no two people of the same department are sat next to each other. This will give every member of staff a unique insight into the challenges and responsibilities of their colleagues, which will breed respect. It will also mean that obstacles that arise can be overcome with input from a number of departments, which will often mean a more holistic solution for the business, than for one person or just their team. It’s also an incredible way to share expertise and knowledge, which will encourage your employees to pick up skills outside the regular expectations of the job – this will breed efficiency throughout the workplace.
Leave the office
Encourage your staff to spend a morning or an afternoon once a fortnight working out of a coffee shop or a quiet restaurant or bar. Firstly without the usual distractions of the office, the person usually ends up being extremely productive, focusing and completing a number of tasks. Secondly the change in scenery is a brilliant way to come up with new ideas, and give a different perspective to a project you’ve been working on. Something about sitting in a public environment – with strangers you aren’t talking to – can help you evaluate and prioritise the most important factors within the task you’re working on, helping to provide new clarity in a different setting.
Get inspired
No matter what your role is within a business, you will find places that inspire you outside of your office, and quite often places totally unrelated to your job. Ask your employees to think of places or things that inspire them, and encourage them to get creative! From the park, to a bike shop, to an art gallery, be open minded about the places your team say inspire them – even if a visit means they’re switching off from work for an hour or two – this could be just what the person needs to come up with a creative solution to their work.
Also try to encourage your team to get outside the office for fresh air everyday, and to walk outside or go grab a coffee if they’re feeling particularly stressed. The 15/20 minutes they’re away from their desk will be more than made up for upon their return with a fresh, level headed perspective.
