If you’re like most people, significant redecorating in the home can be daunting. The unenviable task of transforming even a small room can feel like an enormous task – especially when your free time is already being taken up by other commitments. So, when you apply such an undertaking to the workplace, those commitments can seem even greater.
However, so that you can avoid procrastinating over your workplace or office refurbishment for no longer than necessary, we’ve put together the following steps to take to get the job done – and soon.
Conduct some more risk management
As someone who runs or manages a busy office, you’ll no doubt be familiar with this concept. Risk management would usually involve identifying who in your office is most likely to become engulfed, should a fire start, or end up with a box of files on their head due to improper storage.
Here though, you’ll make a note of what kind of risk is involved to your business, should you have to close or cordon off a portion of it for a short time. With many other interruptions already damaging your overall productivity, consider what level of ‘risk’, in this instance, is going to be manageable.
Assign a project team for the refurbishment
This may just end up being you, but it may be worthwhile involving others too, even if you’re only running a small office. The more people involved, the more insight you’ll have into what kind of refurbishment will work, what employees need, and what considerations need to be made when redesigning the office. Ultimately, you’ll get a feel for what kind of workplace will work for you and everyone else in the office.
Consider remote working as an option
Is there a way you could all still work together, even while the entire office is a no-go refurbishment zone? If so, you may see interruptions minimised for the duration of the refurbishment. There will no doubt be the odd problem, particularly if some staff have never worked this way before, but with careful planning you can minimise such issues. This does come with the slight risk that all staff could end up with a preference for remote working, but as the boss you’ll just have to bring them back into the new office when it’s ready!
Assign a professional contractor or designer
Your office refurbishment is far more likely to be completed within the timeframe you need when it’s completed by an office refurbishment specialist, such as Maris. You’ll also find plenty of local refurbishment contractors nearby too, but be sure to vet them for quality and efficiency beforehand.
You may be able to agree for projects to be completed outside of working hours, if required, or completed in stages, to minimise disruption to staff during the transformation. If you’ve completed the steps above, you’ll know exactly where you stand when the time comes to start the refurbishment – and all staff will be fully prepared.
The final step is to watch and wait, while your fabulous new office refurbishment is completed – with minimum disruption to your work!
Organize and implement a solid plan
Without a definite plan and its strict implementation, refurbishing your office will surely create sheer disturbance in your office work; and your staff will get irritated very badly. The background noise of drilling or banging makes it impossible to listen to a phone call clearly, and get many of your valued clients annoyed, causing the worst loss to your business. You should talk to the refurbishing company you are working with to organize a plan befitting with the nature and requirement of your office work. The disruption for the staff workers may reduce to the minimum if a little care is given to the peak working hours, and no noisy repair or labor work is undertaken during these hours.
Another strong point of your planning beforehand should be to discuss the things with your staff workers to make them mentally prepared to face the disruption. A great way to proceed with refurbishment along with normal working is to accomplish this task in sections. Better start your work from one side of the office and keep proceeding from room to room, shifting your staff officers to the previously cleared room.
Refurbish in the evenings or on the week-ends
Instead of closing your office for two complete days, it is much better to ask your refurbishing company to execute their work-plan on the weekends. There will be no pressure at all of the working atmosphere or the presence of clients in the office hours. If your company demands for more money in case of working on the weekends, you may put before them the option of doing their work in the evenings after the office hours. In case of agreeing in this regard, they will have to clear away all the tools, equipment or machinery for the smooth working of the staff the next morning.
