How office design can boost creativity
Coffee breaks produce more efficient employees – and it isn’t simply down to the caffeine boost! Studies carried out by Kairos Future, an international consulting and research company, show that workplaces with space for social meetings will provide a better atmosphere for employees to be creative - says psychologist and behaviourist Niklas Laninge.
Niklas Laninge lectures and leads training programs in creativity and behavioural economics, the psychology of how to make decisions. He has also been instrumental in starting the acclaimed company Psychology Factory.
"In creativity research, we talk a lot about changing perspectives with others to come up with new solutions and insights. There is research which shows that heterogeneous teams are more creative than homogeneous ones and ultimately more effective" he says.
New perspectives enhance creativity
Research shows that interaction between people with varying knowledge is the best way to enhance the dynamism and creativity in the workplace. Creating a social workplace that encourages natural encounters is key. There is a famous example from when Steve Jobs joined Pixar. He placed everything important in the middle of the office landscape, so that one would have to move through different departments, thereby initiating conversation and being social. "We humans are inflexible, we like habitual patterns."
A short break is good in the long run
The sad truth is that many workplaces are poor at encouraging social meetings, despite the fact that research shows there are significant benefits.
"Companies want to be effective and get immediate results. Few managers will, for example, say: "Let the phones ring and play table tennis instead!""
"In the long term however, it is good to take frequent refreshment breaks, as the research clearly shows" says Niklas. Sitting still for long periods is not good for your health as we learnt from our article on height adjustable desks.
It may be worthwhile stopping for a moment and thinking about what you can improve and change in your office environment. We all have a picture of how the stereotypical office should look. Desks and chairs lined up looking regimented and static but it doesn’t have to be like this!
"Google is usually mentioned as the best source of inspiration when it comes to a creative office environment. I usually google "Google Office" for inspiration. Why not mix different types of furniture, creating workstations that are for everyone and small social venues in different parts of the office landscape. You could even place the coffee room in the middle of the office – a creative work environment generates creative employees!"
