Authored by Phil Cohen
The workplace environment plays a huge role in overall workplace efficiency—it is for this reason that we have fields of study like ergonomics. Many people throughout the economy dedicate a great deal of time to researching the office environments that are most conducive to workplace productivity.
Cubicles and Workplace Efficiency
With that in mind, how does the cubicle—the go-to of the modern office floor plan—fare ergonomically? Not well, according to research from the University of Sydney, Cornell and others.
Nonetheless, the cubicle model continues to be a practical way to arrange any office—so what can be done to increase workplace efficiency in an office with cubicles?
“Pimp My Cubicle”
The cubicle floor plan is practical, and it is okay to stick with it. But there are some small business strategies that you can employ to increase workplace efficiency with a cubicle setup—for instance, you can encourage your workers to participate in a “pimp my cubicle competition.”
Craft a clever spinoff on the popular MTV hit, “Pimp My Ride,” and encourage your workers to decorate their cubicles. Hold a competition and reward the employee who decorates the best. A cubicle or desk decorating contest is a great way to increase workplace comradery and to raise the efficiency of an office with cubicles in general.
Check out some of these ideas for decorating cubicles and increasing workplace efficiency and creativity:
- Decorative Dividers—according to the American Psychological Association, the foremost threat that cubicles pose to workplace efficiency is a lack of privacy. Allowing decorative dividers at cubicle entrances may help give your workers a semblance of privacy that is psychologically conducive to employee efficiency.
- Rugs and Wallpaper—they are the largest surfaces in the cubicle, and as such, they leave a lot of room for creativity. Encourage your employees to bring in a small rug and some wall decorations during your office-wide competition. Wall decorations can include maps, posters, calendars, chalkboards, photos, etc. Call for originality!
- Plants and Fish—for the nature lovers in the office, make it known that plants and fish are fair game in this contest. There are several species of plants and fish that can survive just fine in a cubicle.
- Furniture—so long as it is within reason, let workers bring in furniture from home that might help them become more comfortable throughout the workday. Small couches, different office chairs and even hammocks have proven popular among the more decorative, ergonomically-minded managers of cubicle offices. Allowing employees to do what they want with their space can have a real positive impact on your work environment.
General Cubicle Decorating Contest Tips
- Avoid themes that exclude people in the office. Choose themes that are general and not religion-oriented, like Christmas or Hanukkah. Instead, think of brainstorm for themes that are inclusive, like “winter wonderland.”
- Supply some basic decorations. To encourage participation, consider buying some ribbon, paper, tape, stickers, or any other simple decorations that go along with the theme you’ve decided on.
- Keep it simple and fun. Don’t force employees to participate in the decorating competition if they really don’t want to, but encourage it to make them feel comfortable. If you’re judging for a winner, make sure it’s fair by having a ballot vote.
Hosting a “Pimp My Cubicle” contest throughout the office can be beneficial on a number of fronts—it will increase workplace community, it will make the office a more aesthetically pleasing environment and it can ultimately increase the workplace efficiency of each worker.
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