Professionalism. It’s something that all offices strive for, but few manage to actually get right. As you battle through the day-to-day running of the business, it’s all too easy to let your office space get out of control. Papers pile up; you lose the will to keep arguing with employees about your different definitions of “business casual”; and the entire space soon begins to look… well… unprofessional is probably the nicest way of putting it!
So rather than continue to wish for a more professional appearance to your office, why not take a brief period to make it a reality? Below are seven quick fixes that you can implement relatively easily, but which will make a huge difference to the overall look and feel of your office space.
1) Remove All Handwritten Signage
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By “handwritten signage”, we’re talking the Post-Its that someone has stuck over the broken coffee machine and the to-do lists that have been scrawled and then tacked onto the wall. The presence of handwritten signs will instantly make an office look less polished and professional. Insist that if the sign is that important, an employee should take the time to print off the same details– you’ll be shocked at home much better this makes your office look.
2) Introduce ID Cards
One way to streamline your staff — and a decent security measure to boot — is to consider ID holders and specific employee identification cards. This unifies how your employees look, and is also a handy way of ensuring you never have to be embarrassed by forgetting a member of staff’s name again! Most big business offices use ID cards and holders, so you should strive to be the same.
3) Buy Plants
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Plants can give your office a sense of calm, deliberate style. They also help to break up the harsh lighting many offices have, as well as provide a sense of homeliness. If those benefits weren’t quite enough, if you choose the right plants, you will find the air quality in your office is drastically improved.
4) Change The Window Coverings
Office blinds have a tendency to be extremely… well… ugly. There’s no nicer word for it; the standard off-grey colour just looks plain bad. Switching to an upgraded style will improve the office appearance in a few simple steps.
5) Insist On An Employee Dress Code
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Unless you want to be accused of being Draconian, there’s no need to insist that all of your employees wear formal business attire for everyday business. However, insisting that everyone is at least dressed in a business-casual style will help to maintain the overall look of your office. By all means make concessions to this during heatwaves, but for the most part, there’s no reason your employees shouldn’t be able to come to work looking sharp.
6) Instigate A “Clear Desks” Policy
Nothing too complicated about this; insist that all employees clear their desks of clutter and mess before leaving for the day. This ensures that items and debris don’t pile up on working spaces, and means you can always start each day with a fresh slate.
By making a few tweaks as described above, your office will look — and feel — more professional than it ever has before.
