An Office Culture Which Encourages Innovation

One of the major reasons that companies like Google and Apple continue to thrive are due to the incredible office culture that they have worked to create. More and more businesses are following in the footsteps of companies like these and utilising office design in London as well as intelligent office management to create cultures of innovation within the office environment.

Office culture is normally the major limit on an employee's performance. The values, norms, unconscious messages and subtle behaviours of both employees and leaders often all work together to limit performance and stifle ingenuity.

Creating An Office Culture Of Innovation Through Management

• Be Specific – Most businesses who expect their employees to 'innovate' fail at this. Most corporate visions and directions sound unbelievable generic, often along the lines of 'make us the best'. Instead, provide signposts for your employees to work from, including the optimisation of specific areas of your business, such as customer service, or present your team with particular problems from which your business is suffering.
• Create An Office Structure For Unstructured Time – Whilst the idea of granting structure to such a free-forming subject as 'innovation' can seem obscene to most business leaders, most employees become so focused on deadlines and short term targets that they don't have the time to consider the future. Businesses like Google and 3M give their employees 10% 'free time' to experiment with new ideas.
  
  One increasingly popular strategy amongst many businesses is the introduction of FedEx Days, which are paid days off to work on any problem that they want. The only stipulation is that they must deliver something of value within twenty-four hours – just like FedEx!
• Don't Over-Engineer – Give your employees just enough support and structure to help them navigate their uncertainty and provide a framework within which they can tap into the creative process without stifling it.
• Recognise Contribution And Give Credit Where It Is Due – Making certain that your office culture is one of recognition is a fantastic way of encouraging your employees to go above and beyond their job titles.

Innovation And Office Design In London

When it comes to creating an office environment which encourages innovation, it is often tempting to simply copy the design of companies who have proven that they can encourage innovation. However, whilst Google and Apple might have cool offices for them, copying them will be more likely to hinder your business than help it.

Ensuring that your office design reflects the needs of your business and your workforce is essential, and whilst Google's office might work for them, it probably won't fit in with your brand identity, or your workforce's requirements or desires.

There are a range of design decisions that you can make to encourage innovation within your office space. Simple additions, like lighting that will adapt depending on the time of day, replacing drywall installations with clear glass walls and fixing tables and comfortable furniture in dedicated brainstorming or group work areas.

Create An Innovative Office Culture With Oaktree Interiors' Office Design In London

Here at Oaktree Interiors, we have spent many years helping businesses to create office environments which reflect their brand identity, improve the efficiency of their workforce and encourage an innovative office culture.

Your workforce is the most important asset of your business, and it is important that you take their needs and desires into consideration when engaging in office design in London. For more information, fell free to get in touch with our team of office interior design and refurbishment specialists on 0118 979 66000118 979 6600 or email us directly at hello@oaktreeinteriors.com.