Moving office often represents an exciting stepping stone in your company’s timeline – it usually means moving into larger and more desirable premises, after all. This can bring plenty of anticipation, but it can also result in distracted staff and lost productivity. So how can you ensure that your workplace remains productive even in the face of an impending office move?

Plan ahead and plan well

Good planning is key to maintaining productivity as your office relocation approaches. By informing your staff about your move as early as possible and by taking a measured, bit-by-bit approach to your move, you’ll be able to minimise distractions far more than if you were to leave things until the last minute.

Moreover, by planning ahead and keeping your staff informed, you’ll be able to work through any potential relocation-related problems together before they become an issue that results in lost productivity.

Allow staff to telecommute

Those last few days when the office is cleared out and telephony is being switched off can often give staff an “end of term” feel, encouraging them to take things easy and effectively take a holiday from work. The same is true in those first few days in a new office when things are still being set up and organised. Staff who are in this relaxed mindset can easily distract other staff, resulting in a snowball effect of lost productivity.

Consider giving staff the option of working from home over these days, and ensure regular check-ins via email or instant messaging – this way you’ll be able to bypass much of the distraction associated with relocating an office.

Provide incentives to keep staff motivated

By using your office relocation as a great opportunity to update computers, software and office equipment, you’ll be able to create a sense of anticipation in your staff, and as a result they’ll feel much more amenable to coming back to the office and getting stuck into their work.

See which items your staff need to do their job better, and provide these as part of the relocation. Happy, productive staff will be the result.

Give your staff the resources they need to be productive

Lost productivity doesn’t just occur through distraction or inattention. When you relocate to a new office, your staff may have to deal with all sorts of work-external personal issues such as figuring out their new commute, planning a new morning routine around partners and children, and even when and how to fit in routine things such as appointments, chores and errands.

By providing staff with the resources that they need to do these things easily and effortlessly, your staff will be more focused, less tired, and will turn up to work much more likely to begin a day of productive work.

By following these tips, you’ll be able to ensure that your company doesn’t suffer any lost productivity woes – your move will be an exciting one, rather than a distracting one.

This article was written in conjunction with ACI (Advanced Commercial Interiors).