Sprucing up your desk

By Laura Acton

Creating a greener office environment with a touch of competition.

The office looking a bit grey and drab? Employees looking the same? Well, you’ve probably thought about it before but what about an office plant? Sure, it might mean you need to hoover more frequently and you’ll have to remember to water it but there are plenty of benefits from having a little green friend in the office. Statistic show that having an office plant can increase productivity by anything from 12-15%. They also provide a great source of oxygen for people in the office which helps to keep their minds fresh and active.

Now giving everyone a plant is simple enough but it’s a little boring, right? Anyone can get a plant and give it to their employees with a ‘please don’t kill it’ note attached to it. So how are you going to engage your employees with their new office plant? Well, it’s simple. Bring out the competitive nature in people and give them a reward at the end of it. Now, there are plenty of competitions you could start up with office plants. A simple ‘who can keep it alive’ would probably be enough but we like to take a bit of a different twist on things. Now who's feeling Christmassy?

Make it a competition of who can grow their own Christmas tree and give out prizes at the end of it (we recommend biscuits).

Now, hear us out, we know that Christmas is in December and that these trees aren’t cheap to buy, especially if you have a huge office. That’s why we think you should make it a competition of who can grow their own Christmas tree and give out prizes at the end of it (we recommend biscuits). Start the competition in June with a new plant pot and fertiliser for everyone and each pot can contain a single Christmas tree seed, ready for them to start growing. Send round a simple E-flyer and make everyone aware of it and then tell them there will be an award for anyone who keeps it alive until Christmas, the best decorated Christmas tree, the biggest Christmas tree etc. The options are endless!

Making the competition something people can engage with and the incentivisation gives them a reason to carry on after the initial novelty wears off. With it being Christmas there is an abundance of items you can buy like chocolates and biscuits for presents. Plus, it makes for a brilliant social media post to show what’s going off in the office! That is presuming the tree survives long enough and has a few more needles than this poor guy.

Office plants are not only great for sprucing up your office workspace and getting some extra oxygen in, they also show your employees that you’re trying to give them something more engaging than just a new office pen or mug with your logo on it. You’re taking time to get them involved in your company and help them to bond as a team with the competition. You’re taking time to inspire your employees to go the extra mile and put in that extra level of detail in the next project they’re on, whatever that might be.