A Beautiful Work Space
In office work sucks.
Fluorescent lighting. Usually no windows. An assortment of gray/beige carpet and office furniture.
My last employer was in a fairly updated office and it still held most of these elements.
To say that going into work felt cluttered and uninspired was an understatement. You just didn’t want to be there.
And then something weird happened.
One woman at work decided she was going to freshen up her space. She brought in end tables, fancy lamps with USB charging ports, photo frames, a few plants.
And it spread like wildfire.
After I saw her space, I gave myself a budget and started on my own office.
I cleared everything out, rearranged the furniture, bought new chairs, pillows, artwork and a mini fridge so I could stop forgetting my Diet Coke at home.
And then my manager’s office next door all of a sudden had plants, artwork, a bookshelf filled with decorations.
So what gives? Why was one person’s attempt at adding some decor to her office space spawning a domino effect?
In a word: nesting. We all feel at home when the spaces around us reflect who we are as people.
Dr. Craig Knight has a super interesting article on LinkedIn about the psychology behind a beautiful workspace and he thinks that having employees participate in what the space looks like is the best option.
“If those same businesses properly involve colleagues in what they would like to see in their workspace they help create a sense of identity and belonging. When the delight in the physical workspace aligns with a sense of belonging, we see the development of positive culture and a reinforced sense of shared purpose across the workforce, leading to higher job satisfaction and retention rates.”
He ain’t wrong.
Coming to work felt more personal. It felt like I was going into my office instead of an office.
And I did it all for under $600, including the chairs.
So what if you invested ~$500 for each person to create the workspace that feels best for them? Would in office engagement go up if employees felt more comfortable/productive in their work environment?
