Construct and Consider: Designing Your Ideal Office

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Businesses that are in the lucky position to design their office can find themselves asking a number of difficult questions, namely, what do we want? Designing your dream office is not just about aesthetics, but about productivity, and ensuring it fulfills its purpose. With this in mind, here are a few things to help you steer your design in the right direction.

Operating with a Safety-First Mindset

It’s critical for you to plan ahead to understand what you are going to accomplish. There will be a variety of challenges that your team faces, which means the space needs to serve their needs, and specifically, you also need to make sure that your team operates safely. Whether it’s opting for architectural metal panels in the cladding to prioritize structural safety or ensuring that the office is laid out appropriately to foster quick escapes in emergency situations, you must remember that you have to plan what your employees need. Sometimes, what your employees want is different from what they need. Therefore, you need to make sure that you operate with safety first.

Allowing for More Light

Natural light is going to make your employees more productive, which will result in a more efficient workforce. You need to incorporate as much natural light as possible, and avoid the pitfalls of the old-fashioned offices with windows that didn’t allow natural light in and boast overhead artificial lighting. While artificial lighting has been used in many offices, it is very unappealing, and it’s critical for you to have more natural light, as this will ensure your employees feel better coming into the office, but more importantly, feel better when they leave at the end of the day.


Boosting Productivity

Your layout is going to help with this, but you also need to think about some of the more critical components such as standing desks, breakout rooms, as well as the quality of furniture. When you are boosting productivity you are going to help your employees work smarter and harder. The office layout is about ensuring you increase collaboration if your workplace demands it. This is why you have to think about breakout spaces to allow one-on-one collaboration or meetings, but also ensure that your employees have the freedom to work in the way that suits their needs.

The Right Additions

In addition to lighting, you must think about how the workspace will impact their moods. The color of the surroundings will prompt different reactions, and therefore you might want to give consideration to soft colors because this can be less stimulating. However, it all depends on the type of work that’s being done in the space. In addition, you may want to increase the number of plants as this will reduce stress and can reduce noise levels. Because you need to have employees that are working at their optimum, ensuring that you can boost productivity in a number of these simple ways can do a lot.

Overall, when it comes to designing your dream office, you’ve got to work with the right layout, and aesthetics, and also make sure that your employees are doing their roles to the best of their ability without them feeling overworked.

Is It Easy to Set Up a Video Call if You’re Not Tech-Savvy?

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article | Is It Easy to Set Up a Video Call if You’re Not Tech-Savvy?We’re living in the age of the video call. Once considered a product of science fiction, technology has finally caught up to the aspiration of doing a video call in real-time with someone for business or pleasure.

Individuals use video calls in their private lives, but companies use them for business purposes even more. Whatever your reason for wanting to do one, though, you might live in fear of Zoom or FaceTime calls if you’re not particularly tech-savvy.

Is it easy to set up a video call if you don’t know all that much about technology? Let’s talk about that in detail right now.

Video Calls for Businesses

For the most part, those who want to use video calls for business will utilize one particular app. Zoom is a popular one, as is Skype.

Even if you aren’t exactly the most tech-savvy individual, you can usually contact an IT company and ask them to set up video calling for your business. To find an appropriate entity to handle IT support, Mandurah business owners can conduct a search and see which IT companies have the best industry reputations. You’ll also want to find one in your price range.

As a business owner, you might also hire a permanent IT staff to handle setting up video calls for you. They can set up a system that even the least tech-savvy person can use with a minimum of difficulty.


Video Calls in Your Personal Life

As for making video calls in your personal life, most people can accomplish that as well, even if they don’t know very much about the latest technology. If you have an iPhone, for instance, you can Facetime someone simply by pressing the icon on the screen. After you do it one or two times, you should get the hang of it.

If you want to use a service like Zoom, you can do that as well. Zoom has a free option, so all you need to do is Google it and go to the website on your laptop, desktop, or tablet. Then, download it to your device and spend some time getting to know the app.

Most individuals find that it is very intuitive. With a little experimentation, you should feel like an expert at it in no time.

You Can Always Ask a Knowledgeable Person for Help

If you’re still finding that you’re struggling to make video calls, there’s no shame in asking someone who’s more IT-savvy for help. In the business world, that might be someone from your IT department or another coworker who seems to have no issues making video calls. In your private life, you might talk to a family member, friend, or neighbor who makes video calls frequently.

Most people can set up video calls relatively easily if they take some time to get to know the platform they’re using, even if those calls feature multiple individuals in different locations.

Enhance Your Communication Skills with Constructive Feedback

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Communication Skills|Enhance Your Communication Skills with Constructive FeedbackIt isn’t easy for people to be honest with us, even when we ask them to be. In addition, those that we ask may not have the professional expertise to offer us the insights we need to work through difficult challenges.

Early on in my career, I was consulting for a major film and music studio in Los Angeles when a woman approached me to say, “Dr. Ron, I really love what you are teaching us, but would you like some feedback?” I’d learned from spiritual teacher Ram Dass that he always read letters and evaluations he got from his talks and teachings and what he paid attention to most intently was the negative feedback. He not only read and reread the more hostile and critical feedback forms, but, when he could, he’d either call or write the person to better understand the feedback and where it was coming from. Some of those letters turned into long exchanges until he felt that he’d truly processed what the critics were telling him.

I knew that this woman who approached me might offer some helpful insights, so even if it bruised my ego a little to be criticized, I said, “Fire away.”

She told me that she loved what I was teaching, then added, “but you’re teaching in the voice of an upper-crust white male.” I was taken aback, but recognized that this woman had done me a favor in pointing out my bias. I took a deep breath and said, “Tell me more.”

She gave me at least five examples where I had offered case examples about work that were all about men — and white men at that. In my family, we had six sisters and four brothers, but it was obvious to me that I’d adopted some of my dad’s strongly embedded views that came from spending his career in a corporate world dominated by white men. My dad always discussed men when he told his work-related stories. Rarely, if ever, had he brought up any stories about women. I hadn’t thought about how his limited experience working with women at his office back in an era when there were fewer women in the workplace might have influenced the types of anecdotes he shared.

I thanked the woman for sharing her perspective and promised I would change up my teaching stories. As a result of her feedback, I now think and teach with diversity in the foreground.

Fortunately, this woman’s criticism came from an open heart so it was easy to not take offense. If you’re asked to give feedback to someone in your life or at work, I find these four techniques keeps the conversation positive and productive:

1. Give your full attention. When anyone tells you about or shows you their project, give them your undivided attention. Don’t scroll on your phone, don’t multitask, and don’t interrupt except to ask for clarification. Set the foundation for them to be honest and vulnerable.

2. Respond with positivity. If you think it’s an awful idea, you can say something like, “It sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought and work into this project so far.” Go ahead and compliment them for their efforts rather than the outcome.

3. Ask questions from a place of genuine curiosity. Use questions such as, “I don’t think I’ve heard that before. How did you come up with that idea?” and “What about this plan appeals to you the most?” Understanding where they’re coming from and what their aspirations are can help you to better encourage them and give them constructive feedback. You can share what you’ve done in similar situations and what the outcome was. In this way, you’re making yourself vulnerable and making them feel more comfortable with any criticism you offer because you’re showing that, at times, you’ve been unsure or made wrong turns.

4. Offer feedback diplomatically. Finally, you can suggest something you think they might work on, but wait to see how they respond before you give them more feedback. Don’t overwhelm people with criticism and advice. You can ask whether they’d like more feedback or if they would rather work with their project some more first. In both my Art of Leadership and Core Creativity workshops, I’ll often ask: Would you like my feedback as mild, medium, or severe — like the hottest salsa?
Also, when asking for feedback on your project or idea, make sure to solicit it from a diverse group of people. You may benefit from asking someone with expertise in a particular area, someone who is good with alerting you to your emotions, someone with a different temperament, or someone who is very intuitive.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Ronald A. AlexanderRonald A. Alexander, PhD, is the author of the new book, Core Creativity: The Mindful Way to Unlock Your Creative Self (Rowman & Littlefield, June 21, 2022), upon which this article is based. He is a creativity and executive leadership coach, as well as a licensed mind-body psychotherapist. He’s the executive director of the OpenMind® Training Program that offers personal and professional training programs in mindfulness-based therapies, transformational leadership and meditation. He is also the author of the highly acclaimed book, Wise Mind, Open Mind: Finding Purpose and Meaning in Times of Crisis, Loss, and Change (2008). Learn more at www.CoreCreativity.com.

How To Be More Productive Working From Home

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Working from Home|How To Be More Productive Working From HomeOne of the only good things that came out of the pandemic was that it gave us the ability to work from home. Companies that in the past thought the job couldn’t be done remotely, soon found out that in fact that was a great idea and helped many employees become more productive. The increased freedom and flexibility helped to enhance the work ethic of many. If you work from home, it can be great, but some people wonder if they’re working as productively as they could be. Chances are there is some room for improvement. Here we have put together some top tips to show you how to be more productive working from home.

Work closely with colleagues

Working from home can be pretty isolating which can lead to a drop in productivity. To avoid this, speak to your colleagues email and instant messaging, aswell as on the phone or meet them for a coffee. By utilising SME cloud computing it’s easier than ever to collaborate and work as a group. Virtual tools from cloud-based services enable you to speak to colleagues and your employers in a seamless and effective way. Being away from the office can mean it’s easy to not speak with those you work with but by utilising tools like SME cloud computing and other messaging services, you can collaborate effectively and efficiently.


Have a dedicated working space

One of the most important things you need to do when you are working from home is to have a dedicated workspace for you to be able to sit and concentrate at. This could be a desk in your bedroom, a study, or an outhouse in your garden. No matter where it is, you want it to be free of distractions (such as from other members of your household) and somewhere you can start and finish your work without having to worry about being disrupted. Some people choose a place such as their dining table but this isn’t a specific workspace and as such might mean you need to keep moving throughout the day or have to pack up midway through an important project.

Give yourself rest breaks throughout the day

While it might seem productive to work throughout the day, you need to give yourself breaks to reset and recuperate. Take some time to have a walk, even if it is just around the block to clear your head and give your eyes some time away from your screen. You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference just ten minutes can make.

These are just a few of the top ways that you can be more productive working from home. Whether you work in a hybrid manner so spend some time in the office and some time at yours, or the whole time working from home, these are sure to help you. What are some of the top things you do to increase your productivity when you are working from home? Let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear from you!

18 Ways To Practice Safe Driving While Going On Business Trips

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Safe Driving|18 Ways To Practice Safe Driving While Going On Business TripsGood driving habits are essential for keeping yourself safe on the roads. Taking a few safety precautions can go a long way in avoiding dangerous situations and making sure you get where you’re going without incident.

Here Are Some Ways To Practice Safe Driving While Going On Business Trips:

1. Wear your seat belt:

Wearing a seatbelt is the most basic precaution you can take for safe driving; not only does it protect you in the event of an accident, but it also serves as a reminder to stay alert behind the wheel. Every time you get in the car, make sure everyone’s buckled up before taking off.

2. Leave enough room between cars:

It is important to leave several car lengths between you and the vehicle in front of you so that there is plenty of distance in case something unexpected happens on the road. This also allows other drivers more time to react if they need to change lanes or make a sudden stop.

3. Watch out for animals:

Animals have no concept of traffic rules, so it is important to be extra vigilant when driving in areas where deer or other wildlife may be present. Scanning the side of the road for potential hazards is key to avoiding a tragic accident.

4. Be courteous:

Giving fellow drivers the right of way or simply putting on your hazard lights when someone else needs to merge into traffic are small gestures that go a long way toward helping everyone get where they need to go safely. Showing courtesy to other motorists is one of the most important yet overlooked aspects of safe driving.

5. Check your car regularly:

Your vehicle is only as safe as its condition, so make sure to check fluid levels and inspect tires frequently. Taking the time to address potential problems before they become more serious can help ensure you have a safe ride wherever you’re headed.

6. Exercise caution in construction zones:

Construction zones often come with confusing signs and narrow lanes, so take extra caution when driving through these areas. Be patient, drive slowly, and pay close attention to workers and equipment that may be present.

7. Be aware of weather conditions:

Wind, rain, and snow can all make roads more hazardous, so pay attention to reports before you set out on a long journey and take extra precautions if necessary.

8. Check your mirrors often:

Mirrors are essential for safe driving, as they give you a better view of what’s happening around you. Make sure to check all three mirrors regularly while driving to keep an eye out for fellow motorists and pedestrians.

9. Avoid distractions:

Distracted driving is much more common in today’s heavily connected society, but it places everyone around you at serious risk. Keep your phone tucked away while driving and limit conversations with passengers if they distract you from focusing on the road.

10. Don’t drive when tired or impaired by alcohol or drugs:

Operating a vehicle while exhausted or under the influence can significantly impair your ability to make good decisions behind the wheel and increase your risk of being involved in an accident and an ars extreme dui. Instead, if you’re feeling drowsy or impaired, find another way to get where you need to go.

11. Drive defensively at all times:

Defensive driving involves actively looking out for potential hazards on the road and anticipating other drivers’ actions. It’s an important skill to have when on the roads, as it can help you react quickly and appropriately if something unexpected happens.


12. Don’t use your phone while driving:

It can be tempting to stay connected while you’re on the go but using a phone while driving can be incredibly distracting and increase your risk of being in an accident.

13. Give yourself plenty of time to get to where you need to go:

Rushing around from place to place can lead to reckless driving, so plan your route ahead of time and give yourself extra time if needed. This will help you stay relaxed and focused, ensuring that you make it safely to your destination.

14. Follow speed limits:

The speed limit is there for a reason: it’s designed to protect everyone on the road from harm. Obeying posted speed limits is essential for safe driving and can help keep both you and those around you safe from dangerous crashes.

15. Be prepared for emergencies:

You never know when an emergency situation may arise on the road, so it is always best to be prepared. Keep an emergency kit in your car with a flashlight, first-aid supplies, water, and other necessities that could come in handy in the event of a breakdown or accident. Additionally, it’s important to have roadside assistance programmed into your phone just in case you need help when stuck on the side of the road.

16. Share the road with cyclists:

Remember to give cyclists their space on the road, as they’re entitled to their own lane just like any other vehicle. Also, make sure you always check your mirrors for nearby cyclists before making a turn or changing lanes.

17. Stay calm in traffic:

Road rage and aggressive driving put everyone at risk and can lead to dangerous situations. If you find yourself getting angry while behind the wheel, take deep breaths and focus on slowing down until you reach your destination safely.

18. Keep up with vehicle maintenance:

Keeping up with regular maintenance will help ensure that your car is in top condition and running smoothly. Make sure to check oil levels, tire pressure, brakes, headlights, and other important components regularly for optimal safety when you’re behind the wheel.

Finally

By following these tips for safe driving, you can help ensure that everyone gets where they’re going safely and without incident. Always be aware of the conditions around you and practice defensive driving techniques whenever possible — this will help keep yourself and other drivers on the roads safe. Drive carefully and stay alert!