5 Easy Ways to Increase Office Collaboration

From technology to medicine, it seems like everyone loves a story about the lone genius who invented some world-changing solution we all love today. Well, though they can certainly be motivating, the truth is those tales don’t always reflect reality. More often than not, there was a team of close collaborators whose shared effort pushed those discoveries into the mainstream.

As such, your company needs to prioritise collaboration between employees should it hope to stay ahead of the game. Aside from encouraging strong business relationships, something as simple as a shared office workstation could help teams formulate bold ideas that push your organisation forward.

Don’t worry; it’s not as difficult as it seems. Here are some guidelines to get you started.

1. Choose Office Furniture with A Purpose

At first glance, the prospect of choosing your office’s layout might seem simplistic. After all, you only need an office chair and desk for each employee, right?

That’s true, but it’s only the first step: You still need to have a purpose behind every decision.

For instance, are the office workstations you’ve chosen collaboration-friendly? Are they organised in a way that encourages a healthy flow of foot traffic and makes the space feel inviting?

All these questions — and more — should be answered as you begin designing an office that encourages collaboration.

2. Make the Space Flexible

If your space feels static and inflexible, your employees will likely internalise the very same energy. For example, those desks that feel glued to the wall and hidden in corners will make collaboration uncomfortable and rare. In contrast, flexible office furniture enables teams to adjust the space according to their needs.

Whether you have daily or weekly meetings, even something as simple as a modular office workstation could increase collaboration tenfold. 

3. Dedicate Time for Face Time

Though “virtual offices” are growing in popularity across the world, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, your business doesn’t need to sacrifice face time entirely. In fact, it should remain one of its top priorities.

So, even if your team comes into the office one day out of the week, don’t ignore those chances for person-to-person connection: whether that’s by creating a temporary, informal meeting space or hosting them virtually with an online conference platform. Doing so will give your employees the confidence to maintain collaboration, regardless of where they’re working from.

4. Establish Designated Spaces

Just like how you have designated spaces in your own home (think your kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom), your office should also have clearly separate areas with their own purpose.

Collaboration can feel overwhelming and uninviting if your space feels like one huge room filled with keyboards and cabinets. Fortunately, you can solve this problem by incorporating a few intelligent approaches into your office furniture layout.

For instance, if you’ve adopted an open-concept layout, be sure to include private office workstations where employees can go for a moment of privacy. Or, if your space is mainly designed for solo work, you should designate areas for collaboration — that way, your employees won’t feel like they’re going against the area’s energy by participating in teamwork.

5. Don’t Forget About Natural Lighting

Though this might seem like a minor suggestion, it could make the biggest difference in how comfortable your employees are with office collaboration.

Whether we realise it or not, our mind and body are incredibly affected by the presence of natural light — especially if there’s a notable absence of it. Enough of it can increase serotonin levels and promote productivity, whereas spaces without natural light can stifle energy, limit creativity, and even depress your employees.

As such, one of the easiest — and most impactful — ways to promote collaboration could be simply reorganising your office workstations to optimise natural lighting.

Office Furniture with A Purpose

Every piece at RJ Office is crafted with a specific purpose in mind, whether that be to encourage collaboration or enable privacy in a hectic environment. Browse our collections today to see how our furniture can elevate your organisation.