The view from the conservatory here at the Cullen Scholefield admin hub is of a glorious little garden, bursting with fresh blooms surrounding a giant oak tree that frankly terrifies me in stormy weather. So far its roots have held strong…
In the middle of the lawn the birds all flock to the bird table where fresh nuts and bread are offered daily. The pesky squirrel shows up every day on cue as well, performing his enviable acrobatics to steal the birds’ nibbles. This is all very lovely, but our little bird table was starting to look a bit run down. It was no stranger to tragedy during the storms earlier this year and like lawn chairs and wheelie bins across the nation it too was blown on to its side. It was in need of a good paint job, a new roof and just a better outlook on life. So this week we’ve brightened up our bird table and it has made us realise how much of a difference this can make to our organisation.
So here are five reasons why brightening up a bird table can create a better workplace.
1. First impressions are important
Before make over including greedy squirrel
It is important that your company strikes up the right impression with potential clients, employees and general visitors. You want your office and people to spark a ‘wow’ reaction in your guests, not have them going home and telling their friends about the caving-in roof and the cheeky squirrel wreaking havoc. A good first impression goes a long way
2. Maintaining good premises
Maintaining good premises is just good sense! Think of the lawsuit on our hands if that roof had caved in and hit one of the birds? No birds would visit us again if they heard about the poor state that we kept our bird table in. It’s not just about making things pretty, they have to be safe too!
3. Attract new and exciting talent
A badly maintained bird table is hardly going to attract new, spirited birds to come and work for you. They need to be coaxed through the door. We can’t all have pool tables and nap areas in our bird table like Google can, but clean, neat and well-lit areas are going to do more to attract that elusive woodpecker you want to handle your social media than an old, drab office will do any day! So brighten up your workplace, make your brand stick out and you’ll have queues of birds flying through your doors (and windows).
4. Sense of continuity
After make over in the glorious sun!
Anyone can just buy a new bird table with a quick swipe of a credit card, but it means something more if you take the time to spruce something up and bring it into the modern world. How would your old, loyal birds feel if after years of service you told them to fly the roost because they were over the hill? It’s great to make room for those younger sparrows, but you have to look after the wise owls too. By taking the effort to integrate the new with the old, you’re making a great investment for the future.
5. Continual improvement
Can you honestly say that everything in your office is perfect? If you don’t strive for continuous improvement then soon everything will be falling around you and your birds will be flying on to greener pastures. By showing an interest in continual improvement around the office, you are showing an investment in the future of the company.
Convinced? Have a look around your office and see if there’s anything in need of a little TLC. You’ll be surprised at the difference it can make!