10 WAYS TO CREATE AN EFFICIENT AND INNOVATIVE OFFICE

With limited hours in the day, taking advantage of your time is crucial. Here are two options to increase output – you can either put in more hours or work smarter.

Do you ever feel the need to micro-manage your staff to ensure they’re completing their work on time, or that your office could be more productive? Automating work and tasks can significantly enhance your office efficiency. Centralizing work requests and calendars will keep your business composed and budget friendly. Appropriate planning is additionally key. Here are a couple of tips.

Set realistic and self appointed due dates
Stress is not always negative; a reasonable level of deliberate stress can be helpful to meet our goals. For tasks without a deadline, attempt to put a due date and stick to it. You may be surprised at how efficient you can be when watching the clock.
Try the “Two-Minute Rule.”
If you have work that can be done in two minutes or less, complete that right away. Completing those tasks immediately actually takes less time than having to go back to it later. This rule was recommended by Steve Olenski, senior creative content strategist at Oracle Responsys.
Share your calendars
Try to get everyone to share calendars, it’s a very efficient method to be connected to everyone’s schedule especially in a busy office, where papers need signatures and approvals. You should have notifications of absences or vacations so receptionists and secretaries can take appropriate messages.
Reduce the number of meetings
Biggest complaints in office situations? Meetings, meetings and more meetings. Meetings are by far the biggest time-killers in the office. A well known company developing software for productivity states that the average office personnel spends over 31 hours each month in meetings that are unproductive. Take unnecessary meetings online, via phone or email.
Turn off your notifications
This day and age, we’re bombarded with enticing mobile notifications, especially during work hours. While you’re at work, set specific times to check your email and phone after you are done with your tasks (besides when there are chances of emergency on a project), this will make you proactive and less reactive. Just stick to it.
For projects create a task list with schedules
There are countless numbers of project management software to help you keep track of multiple projects and tasks available online. Try a few out and stick with one that works well for you and your team. In the long run, this will save countless ours in looking for assignments, and keep a record of what’s been done and what’s left to do. But beware, all users must stick to it and learn how to be efficient or it can be counter productive.
Keep a nice workspace
Research have shown that a well designed and pleasing office space with plants and such can increase employee productivity by up to 15 percent. Do whatever you can to decorate and clean your work space to make it aesthetically pleasing. Check out Innovative Office Solutions furniture department to find great ideas to make this work.
Stop those interruptions
Whether you’re a manager or an employee who wants to impressive your boss to get a raise or simply keep your job, interruptions throughout the day (even brief ones) can alter your work pattern throughout the day. Keep your doors closed, resist temptations by other office workers. Think of ways to work smarter rather than harder.
Take your breaks
Scheduling times in your work day to take a walk or even scheduling the gym a couple times a week can actually help your blood pumping and increase your focus when you’re at work. If you’re able to schedule breaks after tasks are finished, perhaps you will work to finish faster.
Take a stand
Sitting down for long periods of time is actually bad for your health and some experts are advising office workings to stand at their work stations for about 15 minutes to an hour a day. A professor at the University of Waterloo actually released his research stating that standing for at least 30 minutes per hour brings great health benefits.