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Spring Clearing Series – An inspiring, comfortable office is a productive office

3 min read

This post is sponsored by Staples Canada. As always, opinions are my own.

I had the pleasure of touring to a few cities in Canada this spring to share ways to be more productive this season. Not only do we need to think about being productive in how we accomplish what we want to do, it pays to find solutions which are as effective and efficient as possible. I gathered a few ideas which provide one-stop shopping or deliver complete solutions for you, and in this five blog series, I’ll share the benefits of each one.

 

Happier workers are more productive

As you might imagine, several studies1 validate the premise that happier workers are more productive. In fact, somewhere between 10 and 20% more productive. One analysis suggests that “Workplaces with ‘very satisfied’ employees had higher labour productivity, higher quality of output, and higher overall performance.”2 In fact, small shifts in well-being are directly correlated to big shifts in performance.3

 

Productivity can be pretty. Standout supplies from Staples Canada.

 

So, what keeps people happy at work?

Our happiness is influenced by a wide variety of things including

  1. personal experience – core beliefs and values, genetics, age, gender, personality, temperament and preferences, and health
  2. family and social circumstance
  3. what happens while at work – the people, events, culture, and environments involved

Digging further into happiness at work there are a huge number of influencers including role clarity, value alignment, relationships with colleagues, the level of autonomy we experience, the opportunity for personal growth, and the physical office environment. Most people work best in a well-organized, inspiring space.

 

3 ways to create a productive and pleasing workspace

1. Personalize Your Space

Choosing decorative and functional elements in palettes and finishes that reflect your personal tastes can make your workspace more inviting. Staples Canada, rebranding in early 2019 as “The Working and Learning Company”, understands that.

Crayon bar at Staples Canada, University Avenue, Toronto.

Pop into the flagship store in downtown Toronto, and you’ll find a bright, airy, membership-based co-working space, auditorium and invitingly laid out shopping experience. Explore the venue to find a robust stationery section complete with an ample selection of journals, pen bar, and inviting bins of crayons in a multitude of colours. You can’t miss the full-service print shop and a significant “Tech Discovery Zone”.

 

What really stands out though are the office space vignettes. Staples has partnered with design icon Joe Mimran to create 10 stylish Workspaces from colourful to retro to a gamer’s dream, making it easier for you to picture what you might create in your space. Here are a couple of examples:

 

white desk, white chair, black floor lamp, black desk lamp, wall clock
The “Keep It Simple” office vignette at Staples Canada

 

 

white desk, black chair, coral office storage, wall clocks, umbra hook
The vibrant “Live In Colour” office vignette at Staples Canada

 

As you might guess from the way I dress and the way I decorated my condo, I love colour with a bit of glam. Here are a few treasures I picked to show off on tour:

Swingline Stapler

 

white and gold stapler
Swingline stapler, so elegant in white and gold.

 

Nifty Keyboard

pink keyboard with raised keys
This pretty in pink keyboard from Nifty makes keyboarding practice more fun.

 

Poppin creates an assortment of desk accessories to get you both organized and energized.

Turquoise file sorter

 

file sorter turquoise
Energizing turquoise Poppin document holder.

 

 

Gold Pencil pouch

gold pencil case
Dazzling gold Poppin pencil pouch

2. Green it up!

Studies of offices in the UK and The Netherlands revealed that plants in the office boosted productivity up to 15% while increasing both engagement and satisfaction. 4

plants in office space
Adding plants is a low-cost way to improve the quality of your workspace.

 

Earlier this week I visited a branch of a major bank. There was plenty of brand-based colour but little else that might have been deemed decorative in the space. It lacked soul. I commented that plants would be a lovely addition and the teller pointed to a vertical bundle of brown twigs a few feet away proclaiming, “We have sticks!” Adding plants is a fairly small upfront investment and with a little nurturing can bring continuous healthy energy to your space.

3. Keep your space comfortable

There has been significant debate recently about open versus closed offices, or what I prefer, mixed space environments. As a highly sensitive person, noisy and visually stimulating environments are quite exhausting to me, so as soon as it was possible, I chose to work more of the time from home. Being able to craft my work environment was a huge benefit to me and left me with more energy at the end of the day I could choose to invest in personal wellness, my family or other interests.

 

Clare Kumar at desk in tidy organized home office
Working from a well-organized home office makes for a productive lifestyle.

 

A study reveals that females prefer more light than males. There are also differences in the appreciation of noise and temperature with women preferring higher temperatures and less noise. Yet, there is no variance in preferences for formal / information working environments and the need for mobility. Recommendations from the study suggest that those crafting spaces pay attention to the demographics of their work environments and encourage responding to the needs of those using the space. 5

 

Sources

 

  1. The Connection between happiness and productivity
  2. Worker well-being and performance
  3. Small Shifts in well-being boost performance
  4. Benefits of Plants
  5. Office Innovations to improve happiness and productivity

Filed Under: Business Organizing, Comfort, Home Office, Products Tagged With: desk accessories, home office, office, plants, poppin, productivity, rose gold, staples, staples canada

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Productivity catalyst, highly sensitive executive coach, and speaker, Clare Kumar cultivates sustainable performance in busy professionals so they can keep making rich contributions in all areas of life and achieve greater fulfillment.

She inspires leaders, professionals, employees and entrepreneurs to respect humanity and boost performance through marrying productivity and pleasure. After all, why shouldn’t you have fun while getting things done?

 

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pinch me! pretty in portomau 😊😊😊 pinch me!
pretty in portomau 😊😊😊
sinfully beautiful Sintra - complete with magnolia sinfully beautiful Sintra - complete with magnolia in full bloom in february!

palacio da pena and quinta da regaleira 

and sunset with an almost full moon

there is a lovely sense of play embedded in the architecture and gardens. pleasure is a valid pursuit.
lisbon - exciting to discover parts of you today. lisbon - exciting to discover parts of you today. belem tower, monastery of st jerome, monument to the explorers, basket weaving exhibition, and the 28 tram ride.
Instagram post 17963417141204199 Instagram post 17963417141204199
you can feel how the sun has infused everything he you can feel how the sun has infused everything here.
sunshine affects mood so deeply. the past few week sunshine affects mood so deeply. the past few weeks in Toronto have been greyer than normal. i’ve been immersed in work projects and have my swimming pool which have both helped immensely but today, being back in the sun reminds me just how much i adore it for fuel. 

serotonin up! vitamin d may be light as it’s still cool here, but i’m sure i’ll find a sheltered spot to absorb some rays when the sun is high in the sky. 

feeling very blessed to be able to take a winter break. 

#sad
#serotonin
#sun #sustainableperformance #wellbeing #productivity
i'm zooming out. no, not zoomed out, but expandin i'm zooming out.

no, not zoomed out, but expanding the focus of the Happy Space Podcast.

when i launched the show last April, i was focused on highly sensitive people - empowerment and inclusion. i have since realized that there are more invisible challenges needing the spotlight. and hopefully, ultimately, we will operate with more compassion so we can #nevermindthelabels

there is much work to be done in what we know and also what we do not yet understand. our biases are natural and must be considered.

so, i have expanded the focus of the podcast to be about designing inclusive performance - making it possible for as many people as possible to make their richest contributions.

leaders want the best from their people yet the office culture or environment may not be inviting for all. if we are more intentional in design of spaces and work practices, this will get better.

i'm back with episode 13 - a solo episode - explaining the shift and inviting you to be part of the movement.

i'm excited for the next batch of 6 shows which include the following forward-thinking leaders and advocates:

- Mindset Coach and expert at managing anxiety - Paul Sheppard

- co-author of "Sensitive" due out at the end of February - @justandresolo 

- long time extreme humanist and thought provocateur - Tom Peters

- individualized work advocates - @alextheworkstyler ✊🏻 and @lizzietheworkstyler 

- co-founder of WorkTripp - @sjpagey 

i hope you'll join me. after all, everyone deserves a Happy Space.

🔗to podcast🎙 in bio

#leadership #inclusivity #productivity
grateful for spring flowers as winter rages on… grateful for spring flowers as winter rages on… 

what’s bringing you joy today?
#happyspace
sustainable stage design. cardboard backdrop. stur sustainable stage design. cardboard backdrop. sturdy and recyclable. #ids2023
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