Sustainable Management: Nurturing your Business Ecosystem
Productivity is a management mainstay that never loses its relevance – but its meaning certainly changes as the years go by. Since 2020 we’ve seen huge shifts in the way we work, and the definition of productivity has evolved along with all other aspects of life.
As companies in Cape Town reopen and employees get used to a new version of a normal office routine, the broader context in which we live and work is being shaped by concerns about the planet’s sustainability. Could we combine management thinking with sustainability to produce the next major revolution in business?
Taking an ecological approach to management is a novel idea which could save your business significant amounts of money in the long term. Here’s how it could work and how to implement it in your teams.
Reduce, reuse and recycle: lessons for business
One of the undeniable facts about the challenges facing our planet is that we produce way too much of everything. This doesn’t only apply to manufactured goods and waste, but also to intangible things that we create in the workplace like meetings and admin tasks.
Communication is essential for every team that wants to improve its efficiency, but more isn’t always better.
Employees who are bombarded with meetings, relentless chat messages, and needless admin tasks simply become distracted from the task at hand.
By seeing the workplace as an ecosystem we can learn to conserve precious resources like our time and attention, and use meetings as a forum to make our work easier through supportive team engagement.
Avoiding the opposite of this – which is needless stress, and face time for the sake of pleasing management – means reducing the number of business communications that we expect team members to actively participate in and respond to.
- Meetings should only happen when there’s something important to be discussed and managers should avoid calling meetings for the sake of “making people come to the office”.
- Employees should be given time and space to carry out important tasks without interruptions, which makes it important to have an office environment that emphasises collaboration without robbing them of focused workspaces.
Employees are primarily at work to carry out mission-critical tasks, and not to spend pointless hours on busywork or socialising. Many employees have learned to prioritise what’s important during the pandemic. Recognising these critical factors will minimise misunderstandings between teams and management, and improve efficiency overall.
Sustaining the interest of your team members
An ecosystem is a holistic entity, and that means that every part of it needs to be functioning well and in balance.
The business ecosystem thrives on teams full of motivated, happy employees who see the office as an oasis of new ideas and skills development, and not a place full of drudgery to be avoided at all costs.
As a new normal continues to influence our working lives, companies around the world are asking their employees to return to the office at least several days a week.
There’s a very good reason for this and it has nothing to do with micromanaging or team leaders obsessed with control. Rather, it’s because a job well done needs to be done collectively and with everyone’s input.
No matter how well employees can work in isolation, the sum total of their efforts will still amount to less than the great results a functioning team can produce. In fact, isolated employees trying to work from home may end up working longer hours, produce poor results, and find themselves faced with the prospect of unemployment.
Seeing team members as a precious resource in the business ecosystem, and ensuring that the work environment is balanced and nurturing, is another way in which ecological thinking can support business objectives while attracting talent.
It can be tempting to pacify weary employees with enticing rewards such as free coffee and pizza at late-night meetings but nothing sparks innovation and creativity more than a clear mind.
Managers should ensure that team members are taking adequate breaks and holiday time to allow their bodies and minds to recuperate to ensure well-being in the workplace. In the long run, this will encourage stability and bolster productivity and the bottom line.
Choose a sustainable workplace to nurture your business ecosystem
An ecological approach to business management needs to include appropriate office space in Cape Town where forward-thinking practices will work their magic on motivated teams to produce the desired results.
At Commercial Space, we are proud to have a portfolio featuring some of Cape Town’s most on-trend and modern office buildings designed with the needs of a 21st-century team in mind.
From green design principles to fantastic amenities and convenient locations for hybrid workers, you’ll feel the benefits of finding your ideal office space with us long after you settle into your new premises.
To view our portfolio or schedule a consultation with one of our area specialists, contact our team today.
