Your business workspace needs change.
Now it’s time to consider an office move.
But you definitely need to keep things up and running through the disruption.
Where to start?
“People like to know what to expect. They get into routine… If there is already change and stress in [your team’s] personal life, chaotic change at work may trigger a negative, overreaction that you don’t understand.” ~ Chris Moss, Moss Leadership Consulting
Let’s cover a few tips to make your office move go smoother than you could’ve imagined.
1) Get Team Input Before The Move
No one likes surprises. Especially when it comes to their jobs. We are creatures of habit and an office move is going to upset established routines. So, get your staff involved right upfront. Give them time to mentally prepare.
Another advantage to involving staff is improving the layout of your new space. Talk to them about what’s not working now and make sure the problem doesn’t exist in your new place. It may just be a matter of replacing desks and workstations. Find out what most would prefer, stand-up, sit-down, or adjustable workstations. It makes a huge difference in morale and productivity.
How about lighting? Cubicles or not? Having a meeting to discuss these things will bring everyone on board and engaged. More people will be happy and excited about moving and the whole process will go much smoother.
2) Make a Plan to Have Planning Meetings
Unfortunately, yes, planning meetings are a must. Many things will have to be discussed and prepared before the big day. Just the thought of not preparing is too vulgar to comprehend. So make a plan.
Here’s a list of items to think about…
Who will be in charge? This should be obvious but very important. The person in charge of this project should be well organized and excel at planning this type of huge project.
Create a team. Even the best project manager needs help. Start with gathering department heads. This way all the needs of each department can be considered. Lesson the chance of problems later, you know.
Set deadlines. Not only for tasks that need done but, lease dates as well. Deadlines will keep everyone on track. Whether in-house or outsourced. Timing during an office move is critical to successful transition.
Set a budget. Unless you have money growing on trees somewhere, keep your costs under control. Moving can create a free-for-all atmosphere when it comes to spending dollars. Don’t let it happen.
Use professional movers. The size of your office will be a big factor here. If you’re just a two person show, maybe you can DIY. It is usually a good idea to use a mover for quickness and reduced damages.
Use expert office planners. An optional service available to you from atWork. A larger office may need better layout planning for efficiency and productivity. Why not at least talk to an office planner to find out more?
What will IT need? Someone is going to have to think about all the geeky stuff. Your computers and network won’t set themselves up. So get IT involved right away on this. The headaches you save yourself could be huge.
Update furniture. If your furniture is showing wear now, it will look even worse in a new office space. We already discussed updating workstation needs. You will want to think about storage and seating needs. And consider what you are keeping of your existing furniture and how new items might match.
Update marketing materials. And of course, all of your marketing material needs changed. Don’t want your customers to lose you with a bad address, right?
3) Take Time to Celebrate
Personally, moves are one of the top stresses in life, right along with death of a loved one, divorce, and a major illness. So don’t take the chaos and disruption of a move at work for granted.
Take time after a move to debrief (What went right? What went wrong?).
But also, take time to enjoy the accomplishment.
Moving is a milestone in the life of a business. Reward those that contributed and took the burden on. Mark your move with a happy lunch or dinner and celebrate as a team.
Finally, bring in experts to help lift the load of this major happening in your company’s life.
Reach out to the atWork team today for planning and layout help!
