Are Personalised Work Spaces a Good Idea?

“urA lot of workplaces have different policies on what you can and can’t bring into the office and how you are allowed to decorate your desk. It can be a common conception that having too many personal effects on your desk can be distracting from the task at hand. If you have a client facing business and you regularly invite people into the office environment, then many also believe that it looks unprofessional. But are personalised workspaces actually a good idea and can they help to make your staff more productive? Our blog takes a look at how you can allow personalised workspaces in the office, without making the place seem like a mess.
Organise Your Own Desk Space
Allowing your employees to take control of their desk space and organise it for themselves can have an empowering effect. Just by having the opportunity to arrange a desk and have an input on the items needed can give your employees a much greater sense of purpose and ownership. If all of the desks in your office are arranged the same then people will be less likely to have a personal attachment to the space. This means they are also less likely to keep the area tidy and won’t feel as valued within the business.
Embrace Colour
It is often commonplace in office environments to have policies on the colour of furniture and desk accessories. This is largely because offices want to portray the business as a brand and keep some identity, but embracing colour can help productivity. Studies show that exposure to both blue and green in the workplace has helped to enhance performance on tasks that require generating new ideas. But the colour red has been proven to improve to a better performance on tasks that involve attention to detail.
Allow Personal Effects
Although it can be considered unprofessional, allowing people to bring in personal effects to decorate their desk can have a lot of benefits. Personal effects such as pictures or small items can have a massive impact on people’s morale and work ethic. Having personal items on your desk can also motivate people and make a space feel more like their own. It can also mean that people look forward to coming into work and are happier spending time at their desk.
Personalised workspaces are good for a variety of reasons but essentially, it will make your staff feel more comfortable and happier in the workplace. Making sure that your employees have the right office furniture can also help too. Try letting them choose their own furniture if you are thinking of getting new furniture, or let a team choose between themselves if you don’t want everyone to have the same chairs etc. Take a look at our range of office furniture for some inspiration.”