“I don't think anything replaces the face-to-face meetings and the personal connections that you get when you're in the same room or same place with people.” - Annamie Paul 

 

Would you agree with this statement? Do you attend, organise or participate in a lot of meetings? And if you do, are these in person, on Zoom or Teams or a mixture of both. 

There is no denying the fact that the way we communicate and the way we meet/have meetings has changed since the pandemic. Some would say for the better and some not. The pandemic did however open some company’s eyes to where/how meetings could be held. 

 

According to Pumble, approximately 46% of respondents to a survey spend under 4 hours attending meetings, around 37% spend between 4-12 hours in meetings, roughly 12% spend between 12-20 hours in meetings and about 5% devote half of their workweek to participating in meetings. 

 

All of this said, face to face meetings is still very popular, very useful, and can be a great productive way to learn, train, update, educate and make key business decisions. 

Read on ... 

We all know about wellbeing and ergonomically sound furniture, but what else as a business owner, boss or facilities manager can you be doing? 

 

You will have no doubt seen stories and images of offices and workspaces with running tracks in or dartboards and ball pits as well as full on restaurant areas, bars and roof top alfresco spaces. Even treadmill desks too. Whereas these are fun and great to work in and work on, what else is there that is perhaps more down to earth and every day? ... 

A “desk” used to be a top with 4 legs, and everyone had the same, but in today’s offices and workplaces, the choices of desks are way more than this simplistic view. How so? 

There is the choice of top material, wood, finish and colour. Depending on budget, preference, décor and purpose. 

There is the choice of size/dimensions and also shape. From wave to radial to rectangular. Again, depending on budget, purpose, need and functionality. 

 

Desks can be for one person or more if part of a meeting room or boardroom. Or for multiple users in a bench style which is ideal for hot desking. Flexible working, productivity levels and hybrid working all need to be taken into account here. 

Desks can even be found as parts of booths and pods if you are factoring in acoustics, productivity and privacy. 

And finally, desks can be flexible if you want to sit or stand, or both, whilst working with electric/heigh adjustable and sit to stand desks.  

Find out more about sit to stand desks, why have one, the many health benefits and what to consider when purchasing  

 

We spend a lot of time at our desks and therefore these need to be fit for purpose in terms of meeting our working needs, big enough for more than one screen, well laid out to prevent clutter, good storage and drawers for productivity and tidiness. These are all factors to consider ... 

You only get one chance to make the right first impression. True? We think so … 

 

The reception area of a business, office, schools, vets, hotels, universities, medical or garage showroom is the focal point of many a business wouldn’t you agree. It is the first place seen and visited by employees, job candidates, suppliers and clients. So it is only natural a lot of focus and attention to detail should be spent on this space. A look of professionalism is key. 

 

Post Covid, reception areas are still valid, still used and still needed. A human to greet you and a friendly face eg a manned reception, instead of an automated machine, can create a great first impression for a business welcoming people in and it can go a long way customer service wise too. 

 

Receptions are not external and internal visitors; it is worth remembering! And did you know there is a national receptionist’s day annually? 

For every 1 to 2 hours you sit in your office, 1 hour should be spent standing! (source) 

 

According to Flexispot.com we should alternate standing and sitting by about 50% each way in a full day. Within that, you should alternate sitting and standing about every quarter to half hour. Your body acclimatizes to sitting within 30 minutes and your lower body muscles switch off. 

It probably won’t of escaped your notice but May will see the coronation of King Charles, which will be a historic event. Whereas we don’t supply and install thrones, would you say your office or workplace furniture is fit for a King? 

 

There are many qualify furniture manufacturers out there and many choices of furniture in terms of price, size, quality, fabrics and materials and so on, so which range or what furniture is right for you, your staff and your workplace? 

 

Also, many of us cannot naturally visualise what a specific chair would like look behind a certain desk type or whether the size of space/area we have is big enough to accommodate a sofa or large meeting table? 

 

And this is where Sygnus comes in, on both counts, in terms of helping you choose the right furniture and the right furniture to suit your space, needs and budget. How do we do this? 

But does this apply to office interiors? 

According to architecture and design.com the definition of office interiors is - Office interior design is the practice of designing workplaces that are conducive to maximising not only productivity but also the health, safety, well-being, and performance of employees. It is about creating spaces that are functional and that provide a setting for success; places in which people are happy to work. We would agree with this. 

We have seen reports that many businesses and companies are struggling to get their staff back in on either a permanent or part time basis. Are you having this struggle, or have you got it covered? 

 

Here are 4 tips from Sygnus to entice in and keep in your staff and teams, as well as looking at current trends and incorporating wellness. 

From desks (albeit there is of course more than one type of desk) to chairs, sofas and reception desks to storage, conference tables and more. 

 

“How do you change the world? Bring people together. Where is the easiest big place to bring people together? In the work environment.” Adam Neumann 

 

Luckily for you as consumers and buyers, there is plenty of choice out there when it comes to the furniture type itself but also when it comes to design, size, material, colour, shape, fabric, price and much more. As the humble desk has evolved since its developed in the 17th and 18th Centuries (or even earlier than this some say), this piece of furniture alone comes in a range of forms from bench desks to wave and radial to sit to stand/height adjustable desks.  

 

Then there is the wood and finish to consider. 

Happy New Year to you! 

It has been another year of change and ups and downs for us all. But as we are nearing the end of 2022, let’s look ahead to 2023 and share our review of the year with you.