coworkers

Turn Your Coworkers Into Your Teammates

"Happy wife, happy life," is an expression that all good partners keep in mind. It's not so far off from what a boss should think about on a daily basis. In his or her case, the expression goes, "Successful business, happy employees." A recent study by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick's Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy revealed that happy employees are 12% more productive. A boss is only as good as his or her employees' combined effort. That's why it's essential that employees' happiness be prioritized. Here are some tips for building your office community and productivity.

1. Capitalize on Happy Hour

What better way to get happy than to go to Happy Hour? There's a reason why most bars and restaurants give deals right after the work day. They want you and your coworkers to take a seat and stay a while. Many workers have a mentality that at 5:00, it's time to leave. But spending that extracurricular time with your coworkers in a non-work environment can help you bond and learn more about each other.

2. Do Something Nice

According to Drew Hendricks of Forbes, not only is charitable giving healthy for the soul, but in a business context, "it provides networking and marketing opportunities while also increasing the business's presence in the community." Organizing a voluntary outing among coworkers is a great way to give back without having to give up a day off. Knock off both good karma and publicity with one stone!

3. Test the Boundaries of Teamwork

Another fun and effective way to see how your team can work together outside of the office is to do some kind of group activity, like Escape the Room, in which your coworkers will be tasked with solving riddles to escape from a locked room. These kinds of things encourage working together and troubleshooting in a fun environment, which can then be translated back into the office.

4. Bring in Lunch

At many offices, lunch occurs between the hours of 11 and 4, continually, with people ordering in food from several different restaurants, or going out on solo missions to pick up bland sandwiches. Establish one day per week when everyone sets aside an actual lunch break and eats together. It's like a family dinner.

5. Treat Yourselves

If you can't manage to get the whole department together for lunch, bringing in a simple box of doughnuts can create the same effect. A little bit of sugary encouragement never hurt anyone, in moderation of course.

6. Celebrate the Small Things

Sometimes people get a little touchy about knowing things about their coworkers' personal lives. But there is a healthy amount that coworkers should reveal. For example, their birthdays! Even small things like singing Happy Birthday can have a huge impact and boost morale.

7. Be Silly

Coworkers a little stuck-up? It's time to hit the nearest karaoke bar and see what vocal chops your team has. If you need some inspiration, here are some perfect office karaoke songs for the Madonna in all of us.

If you're looking for ways to get closer to your coworkers and start feeling like a team, it's time to start bonding.

Coworkers are people, too.

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Not All Conference Calls are Destined For Disaster

Ah, the infamous conference call. What was once a technology touted for its ability to connect people without the convenience of distance, now bears the brunt of many jokes, like this gem from McSweeney's Internet Tendency. It sounded like a great concept, but unfortunately, too many conference calls are riddled with confusion caused by people speaking over each other. Being invisible also makes it easier to goof off. According to a 2014 study from Intercall, 65% of respondents have admitted to doing other work while on a conference call. What's even more frightening is 47% have said they've been going to the restroom and 43% were exercising. Without visual cues, it kind of just invites us to zone out. Here are some tips to help making your conference call run a lot smoother.

Get the time right, and confirm with all parties involved.

We can't tell you how many times we've heard of foiled conference call plans, especially when overseas parties are involved. Make sure you've correctly established whether time was in PST, EST, CST, or alien time. The best way to make sure you're right is to send out a calendar invite. At least 24-hours prior to the call, confirm by email.

Get the right number and pin.

It seems pretty hard to mess this up, but we've borne witness to random people joining our conference call because they sent out a conference line that was already in use. If your company uses one or two conference lines, make sure they will be clear before you schedule your call. Dial carefully!

Have an agenda beforehand.

Saying, "We're having a conference call to discuss X" leaves the whole line open to a free-for-all. Instead, designate a leader to prepare an agenda and send it to all parties. This person will then lead the discussion and act as moderator. Divide the agenda by parties who will be speaking on certain topics, and give them a devoted amount of time, like in presidential debates. This will ensure that people know when to talk and are not talking over each other, to much frustration.

Set a time limit.

The best meetings are brief ones. When you have an agenda, there is no room for tangents and diversions. People tend to get carried away when they don't see the bored faces of their compatriots yawning back at them. It's the moderator's job to help move things along and keep efficiency in mind.

Choose your party wisely.

Do you really need the whole 35-person marketing team on the phone? We highly doubt it. Choose only key players that have decision-making power to be included in the meeting. They can then relay the information to others. The more cooks in the kitchen, the more difficult it will be to get your point across.

Focus.

It's super easy to be doing other things while on a conference call, but we urge you to focus. Close your laptop, even close your eyes if need be. Excess stimuli will make it harder to concentrate and listen to the voice on the phone. Check your social media on your lunch break. You're working now.

Be specific.

Instead of asking a general question to the group, always address people by their names. This will lessen the confusion over who should be speaking at any given time. It's like calling "I got it!" in volley ball. Otherwise, everyone rushes into the ball and ends up on the floor.

Speak up.

If you have something to say, say it. Don't pepper the room with "excuse me"'s and "I'm sorry"'s. Own it. Also, speak loudly and clearly, so you don't have to keep repeating yourself.

Audio conferencing is somewhat a thing of the past, considering the new use of video conferencing at offices. But if you're going old school, do it right.

For more on the best conference call systems, click here.

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Coworking Spaces: Are They Worth It?

Rebekah Campbell is the chief executive of Posse, a location-based shopping recommendation app founded in Sydney in March 2013. In July, 2014, she wrote a blog post for the New York Times about her experience moving to New York to dive into start-up culture and develop her business. After getting sick of working on top of her partners in a tiny one-bedroom apartment, she decided to join a coworking space in New York's famed Flatiron district. Inspired by the pace and people of the city, she sought out a space that would introduce her to other entrepreneurs, and give her a low-rent alternative to a long-term commitment office.

According to the Harvard Business Journal, "Coworking spaces" are "membership-based workspaces where diverse groups of freelancers, remote workers, and other independent professionals work together in a shared, communal setting." Through ongoing research that involves interviewing coworking space founders and community managers, surveying coworking space employees and performing a regression analysis, researchers concluded the factors behind why people tend to thrive in coworking spaces.

First of all, people who work in these spaces put a lot of meaning into their work. Unlike corporate workers, they are entrenched directly into their passion. In turn, they are the ones to blame if things go wrong. Next, the environment is collaborative and diverse, meaning little direct competition, and plenty of opportunity to give each other advice and motivation. And even though it may look for a free-for-all, people that work in coworking spaces actually report feelings of more structure and community. Seeing all of those people around you hard at work will push you to work that much harder.

Sounds pretty idealistic, right? You have access to WiFi, a kitchen, meeting rooms, and can collaborate as you please. But on Campbell's search for the perfect coworking space, it was a bit of a Goldilocks situation. The first one was too "strict and stuffy" and the next one was "the work version of hippie commune houses." She found that a lot of these spaces had months-long waitlists. Though after a long search, she found what she deemed the best option for her team, and moved in.

At first, it was ideal. But shortly after, she started to notice some very significant problems. First of all, there was no guarantee that they could get the same desks everyday. There were a ton of rules. The noise-level was like a jungle gym, and Campbell often found people pitching her ridiculous ideas just for the sake of mock-collaboration. At the end of the day, she felt homeless.

While Campbell found that the coworking space didn't work for her, Business Insider suggests that offices can take aspects of coworking spaces to make them more collaborative and productive. By including networking and social events, and rearranging some desks, offices can replicate this commune-like atmosphere without going overboard.

So the coworking space is highly debatable, but if you're not one for the office, you can always try a coffee shop or your local library!

If you're interested in finding out more about coworking spaces, click here!

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Inside the Magical Earbuds of Your Most Productive Coworker

Whatever your job, unless you are a flame swallower, there's guaranteed to be moments of monotony where you check the time more than once in a five-minute span. This moment, which usually falls in the sleepiest part of the afternoon, we like to call the "clock watch." It's the time when the radiator is humming louder than usual and you hear the crinkle of candy wrappers desperately opening around you. While some of us can't get past these moments, there's always that one coworker who's merrily typing along at 2:30, contentedly humming along to music. According to some of our most productive coworkers, here's what's going on inside those magical earbuds.

The Soothing Coo of Song Birds

Chances are, your office is not located near any sweet-singing birds other than squawking pigeons or pelicans attacking each other. We're talking about birds à la Snow White. But it doesn't have to be just birds. Any nature sound that is not a distraction can work great: a powerful waterfall, a peaceful brook, or an exotic rainforest. Just watch out for those baboons! They can be loud. Here is a great resource to connect your soul back to nature in the office.

Alien Music

Otherwise known as ambient sound. This is the kind of "white noise" that some people use to help them sleep. It can sometimes sound a little space-aged, or a little spa-like. Music without lyrics will help you focus on things other than seeking the intentions of the artist. The intention is to make you focus! Check this 2.5 hour soundtrack out.

Mozart Madness

If you're going to go old school, go to one of the oldest: Mozart. The old Wolfy has been known to boost the brain activity in the right side of your brain, actually inspiring more creativity. The longer you listen to classical music while you work, the more of a difference you'll be able to notice. A good place to start is his Sonatas.

Hot Jazz

The fast licks of the popular gypsy jazz manouche style are just enough to get your heart racing. We love Bireli Lagrene, whose wicked-quick fingers make us want to move. This kind of jazz is great, as opposed to slow, contemplative jazz. That might make you want to fall asleep at the bar.

While listening to music can be a great way to stimulate your brain while you work, it's important to keep it in the background. We guarantee your coworkers will not appreciate you singing karaoke at your desk. Be sensible. Listen responsibly.

For more, read this.

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