Firstly, let's consider the layout of your office. Are people able to move around the space easily and get to what they need or who they need to work with? If your office space is poorly planned, it might be that people are wasting time navigating it to do what they need to do. In such cases, a service like solutions 4 office, a professional office layout and design company, can be beneficial. They can help you improve your office layout and design a space that is geared toward maximum efficiency and productivity.

This won't work for all businesses, but if you have the capacity to accommodate increased remote working and flexible shift patterns, then why not see how it can work? Sure, there has been a huge push to get people back to the face of late, but giving people the option to work in the office or at the location of their choice can help them work better and get the job done more easily. If they are burnt out when they arrive at work due to family commitments or a stressful commute, removing this from their day can allow them to work better and easier and at their best all day, every day. And if they work better in the office away from other distractions, they still have that option, too, allowing people to work how they need to.

You might feel that monitoring every action or decision your team makes makes things better, but in actual fact, it doesn't. Studies have found that micromanaging reduces the efficiency of your team as they are not given the autonomy to make their own decisions and get the job done on their terms. Instead, they're constantly jumping through (probably unnecessary) hoops to please you or a set of rules devised to monitor workflows. Take a step back and allow people to work freely and see how much more effective they can be.

For effective collaboration management, you need to look at your office and how you work in a more holistic way. Let's say worker 1 notices they need a hand from worker 2 during the day, and they ask for help, taking worker 2 away from what they are doing for 15 minutes. While it might only seem like 15 minutes is lost for worker 2, worker 1 has disrupted worker 2's workflow, and they now can't get back on track, thus impacting their efficiency for the rest of the day.

Putting methods in place to reduce or streamline collaboration within your team can help you avoid situations like this. For instance, you could use a messaging app that allows workers to put up 'do not disturb' notifications to avoid unwanted or unnecessary disruptions, enabling them to focus on their work. Alternatively, you might instruct employees to check their work for the day first thing and identify if they will need the assistance of others. This way, any necessary collaboration can be planned and accommodated easily, thus reducing disruption and distractions.

These tips, though minor, can make huge improvements in your office's efficiency, your team's collaboration, and the quality of their output.