Major Keys for Workplace Productivity

If you were to google “What makes a workplace productive” you will find a series of lists from various sources all proclaiming that by following these six, eight, or even eleven strategies, employee productivity will “skyrocket”. Now, I will save you the time and energy of reading these somewhat repetitive lists, and grace you with the wisdom I have learned from my time spent working for 87seconds, through creating my very own productivity list.

1. Take breaks. No, actually.

Perhaps the wildest thing I discovered when working for 87seconds, and as later I found out, most European offices, was just normalized breaks are. On one of my first days, our director informed us that we could take coffee or smoke breaks if we desired. After taking into account my reaction (shocked, to say the least), he backtracked and clarified that perhaps he shouldn't be telling me and my fellow intern Autumn this, and reminded us that, “of course, smoking is bad”. Those that did indulge in smoke or coffee breaks would casually get up from working, head upstairs for ten minutes, come back and get right to work. I meanwhile, too scared to take part in breaks of any kind with the exception of lunch, found myself staring off into my computer screen, braindead from time to time. While I’m not promoting nicotine or caffeine addiction, giving yourself a break from work time to time, pays off in the long run.

The cozy upstairs of 87seconds

2. Don't be shy, make some friends

As I mentioned in my previous article, getting to know your co-workers and involving yourself in social interaction, can actually increase productivity. It has been said that you’re likely to perform better when you feel a sense of belonging. In order to gain that sense of belonging, socializing and getting to know your co-workers is an obvious step. My lunch breaks gave me the opportunity to really get to know my co-workers better, and due to this, it was much easier to ask them for help, or even more work.

3. Flexibility is key

What I first found unsettling as an intern, simply because I was not at all used to it, was the flexibility that 87seconds offered. When I was first figuring out my work schedule, my office accommodated my class schedule with ease, even allowing me to come in for half days when I had class in the afternoon. A flexible workplace provides an environment of trust and autonomy, and with happier employees, productivity increases.

Breaks, socialization, and flexibility - while these are perhaps not all the factors that go into productivity, these are the lessons I picked up on throughout my internship abroad. In the US, the “work hard play hard” mentality is obvious in work spaces, where I feel there is less flexibility, fewer breaks, and overall a greater aura of seriousness. I think that potentially integrating these aspects into the workplace might be beneficial, for both employers and employees.