Imagine yourself sitting in a row of gray office cubicles with gray walls and gray furniture. How does that make you feel?
If you’re like most people, it probably makes you feel uninspired, maybe even a little depressed.
Fortunately, the days of Dilbert-style cubicles set in a cold and colorless office world is over. But how does color affect space? How can it be used to improve health, productivity, and happiness? Let’s explore why color in the workplace is so important.
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Pictured: Kimball Narrate
It’s no surprise to learn Generation Z is the social media generation. Always on and always connected. They are early adopters of start-up tech and, unlike previous generations, have not experienced an upbringing without internet technology readily available.
How does this translate into the workplace? It’s a question business need to address because, by 2020, people born after the mid-’90s will represent 20% of the workforce.
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Pictured: Kimball Narrate, Kore, Xsede Height Adjust
Largely considered an experiment not too long ago, hot-desking is rapidly being adopted in the modern workplace. Open Plan brought down walls and connected core groups to work collaboratively. Hot-desking takes this philosophy even further by giving employees freedom from having a dedicated desk and workspace.
Being in sales means you are most likely managing accounts, meeting clients and nurturing leads. Essentially, you are always on the go. When a salesperson walks into the office, they need a place to charge up, make phone calls and pluck away on the laptop for an hour. As long as the right technology is in place, a space dedicated to hot-desking is a perfect solution for employees who frequently come and go.
By not having a dedicated desk, employees are less likely to have a lot of clutter. Personal effects are always nice to have, but if the workstyle is nomadic in nature, there won’t be a need for personal clutter. This also includes paperwork, unnecessary peripherals, and accessories which aren’t a requirement for a mobile workforce.
If a worthy percentage of your workforce fits the hot-desking model, your business can save money by incorporating spaces dedicated to hot-desking. You’ll have less of a footprint and in today’s business environment, we all know square footage is expensive. You will have fewer components and expensive equipment to purchase. Studies suggest a business can save up to 30% by adopting a hot-desking workspace.
While hot-desking is rising in popularity, it’s not a good fit for everyone. There are some obvious disadvantages to hot-desking and really depends on your work style.
People like to add a little (or a lot) of personality to their desk. With hot-desking, you can’t leave behind any personal belongings because someone else will inevitably be using the same space right after they leave. It also means chair settings, desk-heights, and other customizations can’t be guaranteed to remain intact after you leave. Sustained ergonomics are not included with hot-desking.
The idea behind hot-desking is a sound one. Why dedicate a large desk and accessories to an employee who may only need it occasionally? There are some things to consider before adopting the hot-desk trend. The best strategy is to start small. Gather your team and open the discussion. If it makes sense, you can start to incorporate hot-desking into the workplace. Be sure to contact BOLD Office solutions for any questions about hot-desking furniture and trends.
Pictured: Pairings, Joelle, fiXt, Dock, Xsede, Helio
I think we can all agree that in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing business world, a versatile workplace is essential. With careful planning and the right products, it doesn’t have to look like a yard sale of miss-matched furniture. With Kimball Pairings you get both versatility and an elegant look.
Kimball Pairings adapts to a variety of workplace conditions. It’s foolish to think everyone works the same. Pairings meet the demands of varying work styles and postures while also supporting the needs of privacy in a workplace climate accustomed to open planning.
Pairings is a simple yet elegant sofa and lounge collection that allows teams and small groups to gather in an informal space. Most lounge solutions are static and single-use, not Pairings. Create the space you need all with sacrificing comfort or access to technology.
The latest extension of the Pairings product portfolio, the Pairings Nook, provides enclosed spaces for a more private setting that supports collaboration or just casual conversation. To preview the Pairings Nook and Wood leg additions click here.
What do you get when real estate shrinks and technology rapidly evolves? You get work styles which are more varied than ever. These changes present a number of challenges to workplace comfort, privacy, and productivity. With the Pairings collection, you don’t have to choose between open and closed spaces. Pairings is a simple lounge solution capable of being configured with other products and media. Made with comfort and flexibility in mind, Pairings gives you the freedom your workforce deserves.
Pictured: Pairings, Joelle and Dock
Today’s workplace needs supportive places for people to collaborate, relax and interact. Pairings offer unique applications to divide space and integrates seamlessly with other Kimball offerings. Contact BOLD Office Solutions to explore the Pairings Collection from Kimball.
Pictured: David Edwards, Anora
BOLD Office Solutions is excited to announce the new partnership between Kimball and David Edwards. This partnership means BOLD is now able to offer our clients David Edward products. David Edward is a premier designer and manufacturer of contract furniture, sold in the healthcare, corporate, education and premium hospitality markets. Continue reading
Pictured: Kimball Showroom, Atlanta
Do You know how you feel when you step outside into a park, the countryside or the mountains? Amazing, right? Most people feel pretty good outdoors. That’s because nature is an import part of our experience and offers a nice change of pace to the hustle and bustle of city life.
What if you could bring that amazing feeling into the workplace? The good news is, more and more businesses are adopting a wellness plan, which also means more options to accomplish this are being developed. This article provides more details environmental wall solutions that help give any space a taste of the great outdoors.
Living Green Walls Bring Nature Inside the Workplace
Depression affects close to 15 million Americans a year (cited by The American Psychological Association). In addition, mental illness or disorders contribute to nearly $60 million dollars in expenditures, being one of the top conditions in the country.
While treating mental health conditions begins with awareness, it is largely more successful when individuals seek professional attention. The healthcare spaces created by Kimball Health products are a patients first impression when they walk into the clinic. Kimball recognizes the importance of crated spaces that are holistic, safe, and design well. Kimball’s mission continues to emphasize creative thinking and a deeper understanding of the human experience as it relates to spaces. Discover more about Kimball’s design approach to behavior wellness.
In our “always on, always connected” world, finding time or spaces that help us relax without interruptions are hard to find. Because of this, It’s no surprise that mindfulness is growing in mainstream markets such as healthcare environments and the workplace.
Meditation and yoga spaces are quickly being incorporated into healthcare and workplace floorplans. Corporations such as American Express and Nike have taken mindfulness training programs to their staff. Google has even started the program “Search Inside Yourself” to boost productivity and stave off burn-out.
When it comes to finding a place to relax in the workplace, it shouldn’t be difficult. When businesses and healthcare facilities adopt a well-being attitude and incorporate spaces dedicated to the practice of mindfulness and relaxation, it becomes much easier to unplug. Find out more about Kimball’s approach well-being in the workplace.
Pictured: Pairings, Joelle, Narrate, Splendor, Xsede
The business world is more competitive than ever. In an environment where margins are thin and the competition is nipping at your heels, optimizing employee productivity is an essential part of doing business.
Achieving better productivity is a complicated and deeply personal endeavor. There are many ways to address this issue, but here at BOLD Office Solutions, we have identified three important factors that affect employee productivity. In this article, we will discuss how furniture, color, and creativity can make a big difference in workplace productivity.
Office furniture is a key ingredient when it comes to a better productivity recipe. While the open plan is popular now, it’s important to accommodate different work styles without lumping everyone into the same layout. Studies suggest that when you give employees the ability to move around the office you are giving them a sense of freedom, which is critical to wellbeing. When they feel well, people are more productive.
Variety is the spice of life and when it comes to the workplace, this couldn’t be truer. A thoughtful and well-planned furniture arrangement should include areas to collaborate, concentrate and break away as a small team when the need arises. Ergonomic solutions need to be incorporated in every space to help keep employees in good physical and mental shape.
Color plays an important but often overlooked role in workplace productivity. Every year experts weigh in on which colors will be workplace trends and it’s common to select what’s popular. However, correlate with productivity. Considered needs to be given to color affects mood and behavior.
For instance, blue is widely known as a productivity booster. Green improves productivity for people who work long, uninterrupted hours without causing eye fatigue.Yellow stimulates creativity and gives people a sense of optimism. Your interior designer or workplace consultant will help you decide on a color pallet that will ultimately improve workplace productivity.
Thoughtful interior design can have a dramatic impact on creativity. Creative thinking helps companies solve problems. When you solve your customer’s problems, you have happy customers. Happy customers ultimately benefit your businesses bottom line.
Creativity can happen anywhere, but to rely on it happening on a regular basis in the workplace is a challenge. One recent study by Dale R. Landry from the University of Nebraska explores conditions that foster creativity in the workplace. Thirty-five influencing factors were identified, but the key takeaway was that the workplace should be flexible, allowing creative thinkers to address problems in different ways, both at the individual workstation and across the workplace landscape as a whole.
The benefits of a well-planned workplace are innumerable. When you bring together smart furniture solutions and a flexible and stylish workplace, your employees are happier and more productive.
When companies want to be more innovative in today’s marketplace, they turn to overall workplace improvements for a competitive edge. Contact BOLD Office Solutions to start a discussion about improving your workplace’s productivity.
A major workplace change is almost always predicated by growth, relocation or renovation. Whatever the reason it can be a big interruption for weeks and even months. Beyond the actual physical change that occurs, habits, emotions and cultural landscapes change as well. Change can be uncomfortable but It can also be a wonderful opportunity to bring the team back together.
If proper change management strategies are in place before a single piece of furniture is moved, it can be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Here are some proven strategies to make workplace change as painless as possible.
Set the tone by giving it a brand. By branding change, you can create a sense of purpose and meaning that your team can get behind. A successful brand represents positive emotions established by messaging, imagery and leadership. What are the motivating factors driving the change? Use these key themes to create a brand-guideline with mission statements, purpose and anticipated outcomes. When you give change a brand, it’s easier to get everyone else on board.
Don’t sugar coat change. Be as transparent as possible to better manage expectations down the road. Change can be massively disruptive especially when it reaches across multiple departments in the workplace. In order to better manage change, spend plenty of time planning the different phases of change and share those plans with everyone on the team. Set realistic expectations about small details and long-term goals.
Before change occurs you need to appoint a few champions of change. These individuals may be in leadership roles, but don’t overlook people who are really excited about the new workplace. It takes a positive attitude to deal with change, and if you have appointed change champions who are enthusiastic, those sentiments disseminate throughout the workplace.
There are bound to be questions and concerns both before and after workplace change. By assigning change champions you create a centralized resource center to field questions and inspire a positive outlook. This also frees up the leadership team to address high-level objectives without responding to drop-in questions or email inquiries.
As we mentioned earlier, change can be incredibly disruptive, both during and even after all of the desks and chairs are back into place. Creating a support system can alleviate a lot of headaches and frustrations after the change.
Let’s face it, change is scary. With proper planning, change can be a rewarding and positive experience for the entire workplace. You can’t anticipate every little misstep along the way, but by setting an optimistic tone and having systems in place to address issues when they arise, you can stay on track. Is your workplace facing change? Let us know if you have any questions or comments. We’d love to hear from you!
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