Moving into a new office space can seem like quite the hassle, but it’s also a great opportunity to ensure that your business operations are running as smoothly as possible.
Whether you’re moving into a new building or remodeling your current office space, these 10 tips will help your transition run as smoothly as possible so you can get back to doing what you do best in no time.
Why do companies relocate offices?
It might be that their business has grown and they need more space. Or maybe their lease is up and it’s just time for a change. More and more businesses are looking at new office spaces as an investment in themselves—but it can take time for companies to get used to changes like these.
When moving offices, there are always little things that go wrong, so here are some tips on how you can make your transition into your new office smoother.
There are plenty of factors involved in relocating your office: finding an ideal location, evaluating existing assets, streamlining company operations and processes, and managing employee transitions and morale (to name a few).
If you want to avoid common pitfalls when relocating to a new space or planning for future moves, then read on.
Here Are 10 Tips to Ease Your Transition Into a New Office Space
1) Set Up Early
When you’re moving into a new office space, it’s tempting to dive in and get everything set up right away. However, that can be costly when you discover you forgot something or realize you don’t like how things are arranged.
Set up early, if possible, so that you have time to test equipment and arrange the furniture as needed. You might even want to try out different arrangements before your move-in date, just to make sure everything is exactly where you want it.
2) Use Technology to Stay Connected
If you have coworkers who are remote workers, it’s important that you stay connected. Whether it’s instant messaging on HipChat or sharing documents via Dropbox, staying organized and in touch with your team is essential.
In addition to keeping communication lines open, try using collaborative tools like Asana for task management and creating actionable checklists. These can help streamline project management by providing a central hub for tasks and communication between team members.
3) Introduce Yourself Around
As you’re starting your new gig, introduce yourself around in your new office. Don’t spend all of your time buried at your desk. Be friendly, chat with coworkers and find out about projects that are going on that you can become involved in.
This will help make you feel more integrated into your work environment and will also get you past being scared of asking for help from other employees.
4) Host a Meeting
You’re moving into your new office space and you want to ensure that it runs smoothly with as little disruption as possible. With that in mind, host a meeting with your staff.
Get their feedback on how they feel about their new environment and ask them for any suggestions on how you can improve it. Hosting regular meetings is essential for smoothing out any kinks in business, whether you’re moving or not.
5) Organize an Event
It’s okay if you’re moving into new office space—so is everyone else. Use your move as an opportunity to organize an office social. Invite all of your coworkers to lunch or happy hour, and enjoy getting to know one another outside of work while you look around at your new surroundings. You never know what connections you might make that will prove valuable down the road!
6) Go Walking and Get Outdoors
Getting some fresh air and sunlight is always a good idea. Not only does it get you away from your desk for some mental refreshment, but it also gets you moving.
Just 15 minutes outside can significantly improve your mood and reduce stress levels—which means better productivity.
So, every day, head out for 15 minutes during your lunch break or before you go home. Take that phone call while enjoying nature, instead of sitting at your desk staring at your computer screen.
7) Clear Out the Clutter
If you’re moving into a new office, you have an opportunity to make your workspace look brand-new. Take advantage of that by getting rid of anything in your office that no longer serves you or contributes value. Start fresh with an empty space and watch how much more creative and productive you become as a result.
8) Hang Your Artwork
It’s been shown that works of art, such as paintings and sculptures, actually cause our brains to release dopamine – an anticipation chemical.
Seeing all your work displayed around you can have a positive effect on your creativity and productivity. So, when you start setting up at your new office space, be sure to hang some works of art! It’ll be fun for everyone involved.
9) Establish a Sidekick Program
To ensure that everyone has a good transition into their new office space, allow new employees (and employees who will be changing offices) to choose someone from another department as their sidekick.
Their role? To help get them settled in and show them around. This is also an opportunity for two departments to bond over getting their coworker set up at their new location.
10) Hire an IT relocation Specialist to securely move your IT system
Moving office can be one of the most challenging tasks that managers have to undertake. However, by using specialist services such as IT relocation specialists, you can make your move as easy and smooth as possible for everyone. Having your new systems set up in good time will help you get back on track from day one at your new location.
