Design The Future Of Your Best Work
During most of my tenure in law firm management, I worked in an “interior” office (an elegant way of saying my assigned office had no windows) in a traditionally designed office. Initially, the lack of natural light was not a productivity issue: I had too much to accomplish and out of necessity, I practiced what Tom Peters’ refers to as MBWA (management by walking around), routinely meeting with lawyers in their offices or in spacious, natural light filled conference rooms. And when your typical workday extended well into the evening (aka the uninterrupted time of the day when you could focus, and really get your real work done), having daylight as inspirational fuel for the task at hand was not a factor.
When I started writing “Build Your Dream Network” I started to focus on how to get my best work done. My early career as a lawyer had not presented me with the need to deeply reflect on this subject. Heck, client expectations and deadlines were the driver for producing great work. No need to think about where to get it done, just get it done was the work motto. Oh, how the times have changed! Having discovered that mornings are frequently where I get my best work done, I guard my a.m. scheduled and frequently work from home, at my desk, pot of tea close at hand.
Where do you get your best work done? Is it a particular time of day (one of my writer friends dedicates two hours a day to writing and is at her computer at 4:30 am each day)? Is it in a set place or surrounding? Does it change during the course of the day?
What inspires you? Collaborating space to connect with others? Bright colors? Natural light? Art work? Capital One recently surveyed office professionals in five different markets, and here’s some of what the survey revealed:
- 82% of office professionals believe companies can’t encourage innovation unless their workplace environment is innovative
- 82% of office professionals have their best ideas when they’re working in flexible space options
- When considering a new job, nearly 2 in 3 (64%) office professionals believe that workplace design and environment is equally important or more important than office location
