BLOG

Christmas Tricks for a Productive Workforce

Christmas Tricks for a Productive Workforce

staff productivity christmas happy faces work party decoration cloud it solution provider

Let’s get one thing straight. Decorations in October is never okay. And while Christmas enthusiasts skip into stores filled with reindeer, fairy lights and elves before Halloween has even passed us and pumpkins look humiliated next to their tinsel-laden counterparts, I will stay far far away. November’s no better. Michael Bublé and The Darkness return from their 10 month slumber to gift our stations with music, and before December is even upon us, the lights of Oxford Street are ringing in the festive season. But once we’re in December, oh boy. You better bring that dusty box from the attic, I want every old screw stuck to the office wall adorned with tinsel, and the corners of every ventilator hanging snowballs from the ceiling.

Would you believe that Christmas decorations could improve productivity? Sounds too good to be true. But a recent study by Economist Tim Harford explored how the work-space affected staff productivity levels. The first test measured productivity levels in a blank room, next, the same staff were put to work in a room with plants and large prints, unsurprisingly the staff worked better in the latter. However, a third test asked the staff to rearrange the room to their own liking, this final test proved the most productive of all. It suggests that staff are at their most productive when they feel empowered in the workplace.

“If the staff disliked the office space, they also disliked the company that was hosting it, and they disliked the task they were doing in it.” Tim Harford

While natural lighting, furniture and even the colour of bulbs have been proven to affect staff productivity levels, so too does music. In 2005, research from the journal: Psychology of Music demonstrated the productive qualities of music. These included: stress-relief, improved mood and increased efficiency. The study found that speech is the most disruptive form of background noise, and moderate-volume music the least. So turn on the radio, and enjoy working productively with Driving Home for Christmas until you are.

This is all about empowerment. No one expects work to be a party, but it doesn’t need to be militant either. Decorating an office promotes a sense of family, community and fun. So, wear your Christmas jumpers with pride, and dazzle up the workplace with baubles and glitter, your work output will be better because of it.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog for more festive articles, as well as tips and secrets on digital transformation. See you next time!

 

Timico

We deliver Connectivity, UC&C, Cloud & Hosting, Security and IT Managed Service Solutions to our customers, through Service Operations based in Newark, Winnersh, Telford and London.

Dec 13, 2018

More great content you might be interested in

How digital transformation is driving sustainability agendas

In the business community, we are seeing a sustainability revolution. CEOs and Senior Leadership Teams are recognising that they can no longer take a back seat. They need to be showing their customers, employees, and stakeholders that they are taking affirmative steps and actions to meet compliance and environment regulations. Yet, many businesses do not…
Read More
yoast

Key insight from Insider’s social housing roundtable

Last week, we were delighted to speak at a special social housing roundtable, providing expert advice and knowledge around digital transformation. Our Customer Solutions Director, Jon Portlock was a key speaker during Insider Media’s digital and social housing roundtable. Drawing on his 20 years’ experience in the technology sector, Jon has been instrumental in enabling…
Read More

Raising £6,000 in under six months

Thanks to the fantastic efforts of our fundraising Timigos, we are delighted to announce that we have raised more than £6,000 for St John Ambulance in under six months. St John Ambulance is a 140-year-old volunteer-led health and first aid charity, with national presence, reach and scale. In 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown, the charity’s…
Read More

Book a free consultation for your business today

Find out where there is space for change in your business, and how you are performing against your competitors.

Book a free consultation