The game of Chess is won by being able to predict your opponent’s next move on the board before the move actually happens. What if someone told you that you can win in the office using the same tactic? As a manager being able to read people to predict someone’s next move and reacting to it is the key to success in an efficient corporate culture.
The task of a manager is arguably the hardest task in any workplace, as their priority is not to tell people what to do but to have a group of people with entirely different thinking patterns achieve a common goal in an efficient manner. Being able to observe thinking patterns and the daily routines of your team will ultimately allow you to succeed in the long term. The focal point of this article is to provide some simple solutions that allow your team to be functioning on all cylinders throughout the day.
First you want to get to know your team, identify how they work in different spaces and positions. For instance, I am the most productive when I am surrounded by people and have the ability to move around. Create teams that put like-minded people together, ultimately allowing them to work more efficiently together.
Implement the option of standing which will allow for a change in scenery; this will appeal to your kinesthetic person. A standing desk allows the worker to move around, which in turn will drive them to a more focused state of brain function. Making sure your employees keep their blood flowing in general will allow an increase in productivity across the board no matter what the individual’s mind pattern is.
Another driver of productivity that has very little overhead cost for your company is keeping water in close proximity to work spaces. Water helps sustain energy throughout the day and keeping it close to workspaces saves time [we all know time is money]. Water coolers are the most undervalued asset to the work place; such a little investment can give you a really large return.
Finally, keep things fun! Make your team feel like they want to come to work every day because they love their job. A culture is created by the people who reside in it, not the physical pieces in the space. Use the physical pieces as a tool to drive the efficient work culture generated by the team, which will drive productivity. If companies make the investment, the return will be exponential.