It's not a secret that working is tough and requires a lot of emotional and physical strength. Despite it being a day-to-day ordinary type of thing that everybody is bound to do sooner or later, society still struggles to accept it. Most likely because the employment world tends to be on more of an unhealthier side where people burn out and simply don't enjoy doing what, in reality, they actually love.
It's always an option to brighten up your working hours by decorating your space. Some folks are the queens and the kings of the most outstanding do-it-yourself abilities, and the results are truly breathtaking.
Just think about it, once you get yourself a new apartment or a house – the first thing you do is plan what it's going to look like. You carefully choose the furniture, what curtains you want to get and whether they'll match the rest of the decor. You do it to feel comfortable and at home, and since you spend at least 8 hours a day, 5 times a week at your job, it truly becomes a living place, so why not treat it accordingly and lighten up the atmosphere with some bits and pieces?
Bored Panda contacted Lucas Mundt, the true star of all the transformations and asked him a few questions. Lucas revealed that he really loves his company and that the environment there is just outstanding. They work really hard, but he also enjoys working there because the people are great. The reason why he decided to spice up his workspace was because he wanted to do something creative and fun, to essentially make the cubicle feel more comfortable. Mundt also says: "if I was going to do anything, I wanted to do it completely over the top from what most people would do."
BP also wondered why the man decided to go with a log-cabin theme, to which he replied: "I really love being in the mountains and hiking and rock climbing. So when I thought about ideas for the cubicle, I decided I wanted to bring some of my favorite things there. If I couldn’t be in the mountains, I would always bring the mountains to me."
Makes sense as after all, the happier we are, the more productive we are. Feeling homey in a workspace allows employees to feel safe, relaxed and encourages folks to perform to the best of their abilities, embracing the company's culture and making the environment more enjoyable. Besides, companies benefit from having happy employees as they tend to take less time off, and when the staff is satisfied, the business runs smoother.
Mundt also revealed that his employer was pretty surprised as he feels that he didn't expect to see that kind of transformation. "He said he really loved that I enjoy the company enough to want to do that, and that I felt comfortable enough to bring my whole self to work. He actually just chose to give all of our employees a personal decoration budget for our offices/cubicles too."
We then asked Lucas whether he feels that decorating an office space encourages folks to work more efficiently, to which he said: "I think having a place to be comfortable that you enjoy definitely has a direct impact on productivity and efficiency. But I also feel that’s more directly related to the overall culture and work environment, more than the decorations. I was happy working there before the transformation because I love the people I work with and the intentionality the company has in making a place that values people over profits. Not just in a cliché or gimmicky phrase, but actually and truly values people and relationships above performance or numbers. And that in turn actually drives performance and numbers to be higher as well."
Moreover, when the organization practices a more lenient environment, it motivates people into expressing themselves, which allows employees to become a well-coordinated and strong team. For instance, some of the examples include cubicles that've been decorated by people's colleagues purely as a joke and it's such a fun idea, as having some quality time with your co-worker also improves the relationship with your job.
We're so used to treating our job like it's a burden and a chore, sure thing most of the time it's the employer's fault, however, it's for our own benefit to make that time pass smoothly and more pleasantly – even if it means getting a few plants and a fancy lava lamp for your desk.
Lastly, Mundt says: "this whole thing was unexpected and funny to see how big it got. I think it struck a chord with so many because of the tension of working from home versus working back in the office. It’s been so fun to receive so many messages from people saying they want to do something similar when they go back and then getting to brainstorm ideas with them. I’ve loved that. And while I believe that having a fun and creative space to work is definitely helpful, having a supportive and authentic and uplifting place to work is more beneficial. Now I’ll use a cliché, but only because I’ve seen it to be true and get to live it every day at work. 'We rise by lifting others.'"
More often than not, offices frequently carry the same monotonous atmosphere. Getting rid of the blandness will surely attract new hires and even clients, regardless of what the company's professional field is. Let us know if you agree that transforming your workspace is a great idea that will be advantageous to both employees and employers.
