Communication is an important factor for any business. If you want to succeed, there must be clear communication throughout your workplace, between employees and managers of all levels. If your workplace is impacting your employees’ ability to communicate effectively, your entire operation will suffer. But did you know that high-quality office design can actually improve communication throughout your workplace?
Why is communication so important in the office?
The ability to communicate in the workplace is absolutely essential, whether your business is office-based, or in a completely different field. Quality communication means:
- Employees are able to complete tasks with effective collaboration.
- Problem-solving becomes much easier because your people can quickly discuss the issue and come up with an appropriate solution.
- People are happier because there is much less frustration when communicating with one another is easy and stress-free.
There are many more reasons why good communication in the office is essential, and all of these reasons inevitably impact the productivity of your business.
How do employees usually communicate with each other?
When your people are situated in the office, face-to-face communication is always the most effective method. This allows your people to utilise body language on top of verbal communication. It’s simply much easier to explain something in person, or show a colleague how to complete a particular task on their computer. However, this kind of communication can be seriously hampered by poor office design… more on that later.
In 2022, more employees than ever are working remotely. This creates other challenges in terms of communication, such as programs, applications and other technological factors. After all, they can’t simply sidle up to their colleagues desk and discuss an issue. The way your office is designed will also impact this remote communication, particularly if you do not have the right workspaces for remote meetings.
Office design to promote good communication
There are a number of elements that you can implement into your Sydney office fit-out that will help to promote good communication throughout your business. At Niche Projects, we’re well aware of what helps your people communicate effectively… and what hinders them. Below are a few design elements that will boost your workspace.
Well-designed collaborative areas
Collaboration is one of the most important vehicles for innovation. Collaboration between employees of all levels happens on a daily basis, and much of the time, those partaking don’t even realise it. But fruitful collaboration cannot happen if your office makes it hard to communicate and pass information back and forth.
The areas that you provide for your staff will have a direct impact on their ability to collaborate and brainstorm. If you do not provide various working areas, and your office is simply an array of desks, you’ll be missing out. On the other hand, well-designed areas specifically for collaboration between employees can work wonders for communication.
At Niche Projects, we’ve designed and fit out a wide range of collaborative areas for businesses across Sydney. Usually, these areas are closed off by either fixed or moveable partitions, or double up as meeting rooms. They should be comfortable, allow for clear communication between those sitting in the room, and be equipped with the technology for remote connection. Features like whiteboards are also advisable.
Meeting rooms matter
Your meeting rooms do matter. Historically, the meeting room is the least favoured room among employees, simply because they feel as though a lot of time is wasted in that space. What’s more, studies have shown that the typical office meeting room is only in use about a third of the time. Therefore, it’s often wasted space.
However, meeting rooms can double up as collaborative workspace. If employees need to work on a project together, instead of doing it at one’s desk, where communication can be tough, utilise a meeting room. Here, they can communicate clearly and effectively, without other employees interrupting. What’s more, most meeting rooms are equipped with televisions and screens, meaning remote staff can easily be patched in too.
Make your people happy
Happy employees are arguably the most important component to a successful business. And what’s more, people that report higher levels of happiness in the office are far better communicators. Therefore, it goes without saying that you should ensure that your office fit-out is always promoting the happiness of your staff.
There are a number of ways to boost happiness in your office with savvy design. Primarily, these elements revolve around employee comfort (furniture and workstations), as well as exposure to natural elements like light and plants. Then, it’s imperative that you minimise both visual and auditory distractions, while ensuring that your people are enjoying a good user-experience when it comes to programs and functions.
When you do take these elements into consideration, your employees are far more likely to be happy in the workplace. At Niche Projects, we’ve worked with a wide array of businesses to promote happiness in the office, so that these organisations can reap the benefits of a satisfied workforce, along with a boost in productivity. This of course, is coupled with excellent communication throughout.
The right technology is required
With so many Sydney office employees working remotely, businesses require the right technology to ensure that those in the office can effectively communicate with those at home. The means you need the right hardware, including modern computers and AV equipment, along with the right programs. These include:
- Zoom
- Slack
- Cloud storage software.
There are plenty of programs available to help streamline remote processes and keep everyone connected. Utilise your IT guru and maximise communication between remote workers, and those on site. Your business will only benefit.
Sydney office design
If you’re looking for the best Sydney office design, look no further than Niche Projects. We’re ready to help turn your office into a thriving environment, complete with easy communication. Simply get in touch with us today to discuss your goals.
