Christmas Tricks for a Productive Workforce

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.

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