Flowers in the Workplace: How Motivation can Affect Productivity

With the hectic and aggressive nature of today's economy, it has become extremely important for your business to gain every advantage over the competition. Any combination of things can affect the productivity and motivation in your workplace, including global economic factors and local unemployment rates.

Although these factors are beyond most of our abilities to affect, there are a number of personal changes that you can affect to improve the productivity of your workplace and the motivation of your workers.

Take, for example, the simple idea of introducing flowers to the workplace. What was before a drab and dreary office - draining the motivation and productivity of your workers through its uninspiring environment - could be transformed into a more positive and appealing place to spend the day.

There is often an association with Spartan decoration and a professional workplace, but this is not necessarily true. When you take into consideration the health benefits a pleasant and uplifting environment can affect on your staff, you will realize that they far outweigh those of a decoration-free "no-nonsense" workplace.

Study Links Flowers to Increased Productivity

Texas A&M University has conducted an eight-month study to explore how the addition of flowers to the workplace affects employees. Those participating engaged in creative problem solving tasks in an assortment of standard office environments and conditions in order to determine the affect of flowers on their motivation and productivity.

During the study, participants of both genders were shown to demonstrate greater levels of innovative thinking, resulting in the generation of more ideas and original solutions. More ideas and solutions led to greater productivity, and thus a greater motivation to achieve.

By introducing plants and flowers to the workplace, you will increase motivation and productivity through a pleasant environment. You will affect positive changes and free many from the monotony of beige and sterility.

Think about hospitals and other institutions. You've likely read studies about how flowers are introduced to speed along the healing process. We have a human desire to be surrounded by nature, and as a result, four blank walls and a roof over our head are going to understandably affect our motivation and productivity in a negative way.

Again, since motivation towards greater productivity is an important way to improve your workplace, you'll want to affect as many changes as you can towards that end. An individual in a workplace decorated with flowers will show positive behaviour, and will have a greater relationship with you as a manager and leader. It is, overall, not a bad goal for you to make and pursue.

In addition to flowers in the workplace being a great way to improve motivation and productivity of your employees, think of how it will affect you personally. Striding into work every morning to be greeted by a pleasant environment will just as likely motivate you to greater productivity levels as well. Affect these positive changes and you'll increase your power and approach the top with greater ease.

Remember, motivation is the key to success. The simple act of putting flowers in your office is a great way to achieve it.