Summer’s almost here, with the weather that makes you sigh out your window and long to be out there rather than cooped up at your desk. Instead of simply staring at the lovely day, bring summer inside with a few easy tricks.

Clear the Clutter

No, it isn’t your job to clean your office. You have plenty to do without resorting to the all-purpose cleaner. However, many times people leave items strewn about their desk and it is unable to be properly tended to by the janitors. Give them a break and clear off all the surfaces inside your cubicle. Remember you’re responsible for how your office looks, and once the clutter has been tamed your office will feel brighter and more open.

Organisational Items

Your in- and out- boxes, utensil holders, business card holders, and any other items that reside on your desk may be in need of an upgrade. Do they look dingy? A trip to an office supply store can yield items in a bright colour. Don’t spend a fortune or break your budget, but a little can go a long way to making the office a nicer place to inhabit.

Add Bright Colours

Continuing with bright colours, find some art to put on the wall. This might just be placing construction paper over the cubicle walls, but the color will lift your spirits. Add an area rug if you prefer. If you have your own office and your company doesn’t mind, try painting the walls. Just be sure you do it on a weekend or outside company hours. No one will thank you for sharing the fumes or using valuable work time.

Green Plant

A green plant adds a touch of the outdoors. Bring a plant in a pot to work helps reduce stress and increases productivity. They can be placed to reduce noise between cubicles, and improve attitudes for employees. It’s best to bring a green plant and not a flowering one for the health of your coworkers in case they have allergies.

Reflect the Light

Add something light to reflect light to your space. It can be a mirror, a water fountain or aquarium, or even a crystal dish with a bonus of candy for your coworkers. This type of addition to your workplace will chase away some of those wintry shadows and the blah moods with it.

While you don’t want to get too carried away redoing your office space, a few minutes spent doing even one of these will give you a new outlook.

Office furniture may not seem to have changed in the last 30 years. You still have a desk, a chair, filing cabinet, and phone sprinkled within cubicle walls. The differences are subtle, but it’s worth recognizing the strides companies make in the workplace.

Typewriter to PC

You traded in your typewriter for a computer, which was then upgraded a few times because it was obsolete the moment it was installed. At least there are games to play during the lunch break.

Fax to Email (and e-faxing)

With this change, we have replaced faxes with email and shortened the time to do just about everything. It’s also created the great impatience with having everything happen right now. That’s a large change that everyone notices, and here’s the differences in the things you may have missed due to the eyestrain.

From Open Spaces to Cubicles and Back Again

Cubicles were coming into vogue. The move from a large communal space like a secretarial pool changed into small personal spaces. Now, many forward-acting companies are moving away from them. The new office space looks more like a coffee house, with no space designated to a specific person and technology has granted the ability to work elsewhere, like from home.

Evolution of the Office Chair

The office chair went from having four casters to five. There are still five today, giving greater stability than the old models. Other improvements include ergonomic developments for comfort during long hours. The materials are moving toward foam and temperature controlling fabric. The back is higher and most models have arm rests. Each piece is adjustable to give the maximum number of users a satisfying experience.

From Chunky, Heavy Work Desk to the Practical, Slimline Workspace

Desks now come standard with holes to let your wires disappear. Many workers no longer have many large wooden desks with drawers, using instead work tables that allow more flexibility with respect to height adjustment and placement of tools.

From File to Dial
Instead of a rolodex, pagers and rotary dial phone, the everyday office worker now has touch tone phones and many have mobile phones, iPhones/Androids, PDAs, or other technological gadgetry to keep them connected when they’re not at their desks.

Many of these changes occurred because of advances in ergonomics and human factors. Professionals from these fields have made their niche reducing workplace injuries and improving health. As they learn more about how to work smarter, the workplace environment will continue to change to suit people better.

It’s a party, but that doesn’t mean it’s a “party”, not in ways you might typically think. When you and your colleagues gather to celebrate the holidays, act accordingly. Before all else, it’s still an office function, possibly the first time you’ve stood with workplace superiors outside of the workplace.

Don’t overdo it at the cocktail table

This might be the first time your boss gets to see your “other side”. The last thing you want to do is cast yourself in an unprofessional light by downing too many drinks before leading the sales department through a slurred rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Don’t get caught up in the festivities and start acting like you’re back at the frat house.

Dress appropriately

Sure, it’s OK to stray from the business-casual wardrobe that outfits you day in and day out throughout the year. But you’re not going “clubbing”. Let your typical office attire be your gauge. It’s fine to lean a little less conservative, but not too far. While office parties are festive events, standard workplace behavior is expected.

Don’t try to “hook up” at your work party

If you’ve been waiting for the chance to see the “hottie” down the hall in a more social setting, remember who’s watching. Use the party as a chance to engage in mature conversation to get to know somebody a little better. But tales of the couple who were caught making out in the coat closet will do nothing to improve your standing with upper-management.

Don’t complain if your Christmas bonus was low or non-existent this year

Times are tough. Many companies are even skipping the festivities due to expenses. If you’re overheard grumbling about not getting a big, fat Christmas bonus (or, for that matter, about anything else negative toward the company) words can travel fast. Keep them to yourself and enjoy the party. Not everybody is getting one these days.

Don’t just blow it off

Your office party probably hasn’t been advertised as being mandatory, but treat it as such. Go, at least for a while. If you’ve already got a prior engagement, be sure your office manager is aware of it ahead of time. To ignore it without acknowledging it would be disrespectful.

Remember: The best rule of thumb is do not detach yourself completely from office norms that dictate your everyday behavior at work. Stay in good standing with your superiors by obeying these rules of etiquette.

Setting up a meeting space can be quite a challenge. Not only must you work within the constraints of the actual space, but it is also important to ensure that everyone attending the meeting has a good view of presenters and is able to easily communicate.

The first step in setting up meeting room furniture for a successful meeting is to choose a layout. There are actually several different meeting space plans that can be used, allowing you to select a plan that will comfortably accommodate the number of people attending the space as well as work well with the space available.

The classroom floor plan is one of the most well known and traditional plans for a meeting. This layout involves places rows of tables and chairs. The number of people that can be accommodated with this layout will depend upon the size of the tables. A six foot table can easily accommodate two people while an eight foot table can accommodate three people. The only problem with this layout is that it can be difficult for everyone to interact.

Another option is the theater floor plan. This layout features rows of chairs with space for aisles. This plan may be used in an auditorium, which is a good idea when the meeting is formal in nature.

A banquet floor plan typically involves the use of round 6′ round tables that can accommodate up to ten people each. The benefit of this type of layout is that is more easily allows for interaction among members at each table, but may make it more difficult for the entire group to interact. The banquet floor plan is more commonly used for dining events.

A boardroom floor plan is a common layout which features participants sitting around a single table environment. This layout ensures that everyone attending the meeting can have close interaction with one another.

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Another common floor plan is the U-shape. The table and chairs are arranged so that a U is formed at the front of the room, where a speaker will lead the meeting. The benefit of this layout is that it also allows audio-visual equipment to be placed in the center of the U shape. This is an excellent plan to use when you need an interactive presentation or when speakers need to frequently exchange ideas with meeting participants. The U-shaped floor plan is also an excellent layout to use with rectangle shaped rooms.

Finally, you might consider using the hollow square layout. This plan is much like the U-shape with the exception that the fourth side is closed off so that a rectangle or square is formed. In addition, this plan features an open space in the midst of the table. This plan is best utilized for mid-sized rooms and when you need to accommodate a fair number of people who need to be able to interact with one another. It is an excellent option to use for brainstorming sessions as well as when everyone needs to contribute to the discussion at hand.

When designing an office, many people get so caught up in the logistics of their business that they fail to remember how important it is to take into account all the details that are necessary in order to make the office as comfortable and efficient as possible. While picking out office furniture may seem like a vain exercise to some, it is crucially important if you want your office to be a center for productivity.

Office Chairs are the most important element of any office, as it is important to keep your staff comfortable. This is not the area to skimp monetarily, as an uncomfortable staff is also an unproductive staff. Try taking the route of ergonomically correct office chairs.

Next, every office needs a conference table. Your conference room is where you will hold your morning production meetings ever day, as well as client meetings, so your table must convey a sense of professionalism and class. These days, many offices are going with modern look of a plate-glass conference table. These tables become the centerpiece of whatever room they sit in.

Obviously, each member of your staff will need a desk, and it is important that they feel comfortable at their workstation. That said, this is an area that you can try to save on costs, as many of the modern office desks on the market today can be purchased for lower prices than you might think.

When most people think of going green at the office, they usually think of recycling paper and using organic cleaners for disinfecting surface areas and cleaning windows. But, the office furniture you use, including the chair you sit in each day, may contain carcinogenic chemicals which can pollute our soil when the furniture is discarded.

Recycling Old Office Furniture

If you’re in the market for some new, sustainable office furniture, but your old furniture still has some use left in it, you should recycle the old furniture rather than taking it to a land fill. How do you recycle your old furniture? By allowing someone else to have it, either by selling it to them or giving it away. This empties your office of old furniture, keeps it out of the land fill, and allows someone else to get a deal on the office furniture they need.

What To Look For In Sustainable Office Furniture

When you begin shopping for your new furniture, you may feel that the price is your first concern. While you must consider your budget, it should not be your only determining factor and in fact, it should be low on your list of priorities.

The first thing you should look for in sustainable office furniture is functionality. You want furniture that will serve you well for many years. If yours is a small operation, consider that your business will grow. You need furniture that will grow with you. This may mean purchasing a desk or file cabinet with some extra drawers to allow for expansion.

You should also look at the features of the furniture which allow it to be functional or non-functional for your particular purpose. Is there a place on the desk for a computer keyboard? Are there shelves for books and other materials?

After functionality and features, your next consideration should be comfort. This especially applies to your chair. You will spend many hours in that chair at that desk, so you want to be sure that you will have ample back support. Also, your desk should not be too low. You should be able to fit your legs under it comfortably and stretch them out.

Finally, you will want to check the certification of the furniture and the materials used in the manufacturing process. Make sure the manufacturer stands behind their products and offers a guarantee on quality and materials used.

Whether you’re moving into a new office space or trying to re-organize the space you’re in, optimising your office space is important to your productivity as well as that of your employees. It isn’t how much or how little space you’ve got, it is how you use it that counts.

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Here are some steps you can take to optimise your office space and get the most from your work day.

1- Replace The Bulky Furniture From Decades Past With The Sleek Designs Of Today

If the words “office furniture” make you think of large, bulky desks and big, gray metal filing cabinets, think again. Today’s designs offer functionality while using a minimum of space. Desks are smaller and more compact, while offering ample storage and work space. Chairs are sleek and comfortable. And filing cabinets come in a variety of sizes to fit your work and space needs. Replacing your old office furniture with the modern designs available today will make even the smallest office more spacious.

2- If You Don’t Absolutely Need It Get Rid Of It

Does your office really need that sofa or that over-stuffed chair? How about that extra filing cabinet? If you have extra pieces of furniture or other things, such as an aquarium, in your office that are not being used, removing them will add space you can use for more important things – including breathing room!

3- Use An Open Floor Plan Instead Of Partitions

Partitions and cubicles tend to minimize space by breaking it up. Instead, use an open floor plan. This not only adds space, but will allow employees to share some furniture or accessories such as computers and file cabinets when appropriate.

4- Re-arrange Your Office Furniture

Try arranging your office furniture differently. Instead of having your desk at an angle or in the middle of your office, move it into a corner against one wall with just enough room for your chair. Move your file cabinet to the other corner, or if possible, out of your office altogether.

5- Make Use Of Your Wall Space

Wall space can be used for storage by adding cabinets and shelves. These should not be to clustered together so as to make it pleasing to the eye. Also, when the cabinets and shelves are spaced properly, artwork can be hung on the wall to complete the look and give ambiance to the space.

Office furniture can be composed out of many materials, but hardwoods make the best desks because of their durability and range of colors and textures. These five hardwoods are often used in desk construction and are the perfect complement to any home office or commercial space.

1- Cherry

Cherry furniture has a very distinctive look and is often found in the offices of executives and high-level managers. The color of cherry wood can range from light brown to a dark brown with a reddish tint. Some of the advantages of cherry are that is very durable and offers a very polished look for any office. One disadvantage of working with cherry wood for desk construction is that it can be difficult to work with, making furniture construction difficult.

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2- Oak

Oak is one of the most popular hardwoods for office furniture such as desks. Oak is known for being sturdy and it also has a very attractive and distinctive grain. Both white oak and red oak have prominent streaks in the wood grain. The biggest advantage of using oak for desks and office furniture is that it is very durable and will last for many years with proper care. One disadvantage of oak is that it can be expensive.

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3- Walnut

Walnut is another durable hardwood that is used for desk and other office furniture pieces. Walnut is chocolate brown in color and can sometimes have purple or brown streaks in the grain. This hardwood is used to craft fine, durable furniture and is very valued. One advantage of using walnut for desks is that it is durable and will last for a long time. The major disadvantage to using oak is that it is very expensive and may not fit your budget.

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4- Ash

Office desks made from ash can range in color from white to gray and often have light brown or reddish brown tints. One advantage to using ash for office furniture is that it is very bendable and easier to work with when using hand tools. One disadvantage is the price of ash; it is moderately expensive and may increase the cost of your office project.

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5- Elm

Elm is a hardwood that ranges in color from light brown to dark brown and can contain streaks of red. It is very durable, but also bendable, so it is easier to work with than other hardwoods. The disadvantages of elm are the price and the difficulty in finding this type of wood.

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All office chairs are not created equal. When you are shopping for office chairs for your business there are many situations that require their own special type of chair and in some cases a special chair is required just to allow some employees to be able to do their jobs. Choosing an office chair should not be a standard affair but rather an important part of the office furniture planning process.

For a certain segment of your working population a standard office chair will do the job. Most people are of average size and have no physical challenges that would make any special kind of chair necessary. When choosing a standard office chair you should always go with quality over price. Many people will come and go at your company but you do not need to constantly be investing in office furniture to accommodate any new people. A well built office chair that costs a little more than the economy model will pay for itself through years of service to the revenue generating people that will be using it. Constantly purchasing inexpensive office chairs is not good business.

An employer should always be in touch with the needs of their employees and that includes needs for a special office chair. If you hire an employee with a physical challenge then you should make the effort to purchase a chair for them that will allow them to be productive and do their job without any physical discomfort. If you hire a person that may require a larger office chair then investing in that chair can allow the employee to be productive without having to constantly go through several standard office chairs. Paying attention to the needs of your employees by investing in special office chairs when needed helps to improve company morale and that has a positive effect on your bottom line.

Conference rooms can sometimes require a different kind of office chair than the chairs your employees are using. Your employees require comfort in an office chair that allows them to perform their jobs and remain productive. In a conference room setting you may want to invest in more formal office chairs to give a more professional look and feel to your conference rooms because your conference rooms is where you will be having meetings with customers and partners and a more professional look in those situations is much preferred over the casual look of an office chair that is designed for day long comfort.

When deciding on a design for a new office, a lot of thought should go into the layout. The layout of an office will affect many factors, including productivity, interpersonal relationships, workflow, and the impression given to clients and prospects. Especially if you are moving your office to a new location, give some thought to how the layout of your existing office could have been improved. Proper planning on the layout of the new office will make the work experience and employee productivity much better. Here are several tips when thinking about the layout of the new office.
Managers & Executives

First, is the location of the managers and executives. You need to think about the layout of their space in relation to each other, and to their employees. Think about keeping managers with similar jobs and that need to interact close to each other. Also keep managers with a line of site to their employees. You will also want to consider the furniture selection and layout. Managers on the same level in the organizational chart should be given similar furniture and accessories.
Furnishings & Employees

Second, think about the layout of the furnishings for the employees. This should be done in such a fashion as to increase productivity. Again, employees with similar tasks or that need to interact should be kept close to each other, and have similar furnishings. The layout should be done in such a way as to minimize movement through the office and maximize productivity.
Office Flow

Third, think of the general flow through the office. You want to maximize workflow and the ability to quickly get things done. At the same time, keep the flow open and spaces wide enough between furnishings. This will not only help in terms of safety considerations, but you may need to implement barrier free access for those in wheelchairs.
Expansion

Fourth, you will want to plan the layout with an eye toward expansion. Don’t lock yourself into the current number of employees. There needs to be room and furnishings to accommodate growth, both in the employee side and the management side of the house. If you fill every available private office in the beginning, what happens when you need to hire more managers? A little extra planning and expense now can save you another move or construction in the future.

Impression

Finally, think of the layout in terms of how your clients and prospects will see it. You want to create a good first impression when they walk in the door. Spend some extra money on the layout and furnishings in the lobby area and the conference room. You can’t put a price on a great first impression, so don’t try to cut corners in these areas.