Recent studies point to the fact that the most successful office spaces are empowered ones.  In 2010, psychologists in the UK conducted an experiment to see how the office environment affected productivity and morale. They used four different office layouts and observed how employees worked within them.  The empowered office was the most successful because it allowed employees to create their ideal working environment.  They were allowed to rearrange the decor and furniture to suit them best.  When all was said and done, employee productivity increased by 30 percent as compared to the other office layouts. Another interesting discovery came out of this experiment–when employees disliked their office space, they also disliked the company they were working for and their job.

How can you create an empowered workspace?

The best way to use office design to create an empowered workspace is to give employees choices. A great way to do this is by involving employees in the design of the space.  Studies have found that “employee control of their physical environment can enhance individual, group, and organizational performance.”  Some ways that you can give employees control is by creating spaces that include furnishings that are movable and adjustable, such as movable walls and seating, unassigned desk space and encouraging them to enhance their own spaces to make it comfortable for them.

Before a remodel or a change to your workspace, consider doing the following things to empower your employees in the design decisions:

Hold design meetings that include representatives from all departments.  Make sure that you include staff as well as management to get a better understanding of what your employees need in order to perform at their best.

Conduct satisfaction surveys. You will better understand how your space is working with small surveys that assess how satisfied employees feel about your space, its amenities and technology.

As this article in Harvard Business Review states, your office environment is the key to high performance and satisfaction in the work space.  Further, the results of Gensler’s 2013 Workplace Survey (see graphic below) show that empowered employees were happier, more motivated and more productive.

Are you ready to turn your space into an empowered one? Give the team at Bellia a call to help you plan and create a space that will increase productivity, innovation and job and workplace satisfaction.