Listen to “#556 The Best Work Environment for Maximum Creativity” on Spreaker.

On this episode of The Small Business Radio Show…

SEGMENT 1, starting at 0:00: Scientific research shows that your physical environment affects how you perform at work. Over the last 30 years alone, we have gone from very structured office spaces to open office spaces to now working at home or in a coffee shop. What is the best work environment to maximize creativity? Architect Donald M. Rattner is here to help.

SEGMENT 2, starting at 18:30: Millennials are on track to make up 75% of the workforce by 2030. As a result, it’s crucial for employers to harness the strengths of this generation and develop strong leaders for future generations. Chris Tuff is here to help companies bridge the communication gaps between Millennials and the rest of the workforce.

SEGMENT 3, starting at 36:30: The SAP Business Exchange is an active community focused on helping small and medium sized businesses become the best run they can be. We talk to Ryan Demaray about how his hazelnut farm has benefitted from the SAP Business Exchange, and how other business owners can get involved in the free community.

Sponsored by Nextiva, TransUnion ShareAble, Jobber and LinkedIn

More on each segment below.

 

Segment 1: Donald M. Rattner is an architect who’s run a small business firm for over 30 years. His current practice focuses on helping people and organizations boost their creative output by showing how they can apply scientific research in environmental psychology to shape their physical surroundings. His latest book is “My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation”.

1:30 – Why has there been so much change in our work environment over the last 30 years?

3:15 – What does science say about how our physical environment impacts the way we think, feel, and work?

6:00 – What is it about a Starbucks or a coffee shop that is conducive to getting work done?

7:30 – How do elements in our work environment, like music and lighting, affect our creativity and work productivity?

10:15 – An unusual element in our work environment that impacts our creativity.

12:00 – What is the key to creating your ideal workspace? And what is the best work environment for collaborating with other people? Are these different?

15:00 – How to create the best work environment for your small business.

Segment 2: Chris Tuff is the author of USA Today bestseller “The Millennial Whisperer”. In his book, Chris offers research-based, time-tested strategies for bridging communication gaps between Millennials and the rest of the workforce.

18:30 – What scares previous generations about Millennials? Should we be scared?

20:00 – What is so different/unique about the Millennial generation?

24:30 – Why encouraging side hustles is not only safe, but BENEFICIAL for your company.

27:00 – What Millennials want when they say they want “transparency”.

29:00 – What kind of rewards and recognition are Millennials expecting from their employers/managers?

32:00 – The 70/30 rule to tackle “the grass is always greener complex” that Millennials tend to have.

Segment 3: Ryan Demaray oversees The SAP Business Exchange, an active community focused on helping businesses become best run with an emphasis on Small and Midsized Business (SMB) organizations for SAP Concur, a spend management technology company with more than 50K customers in 150 countries. In his free time, Ryan co-owns and operates his own small business, a successful hazelnut farm, which distributes four varietals of hazelnuts to the global market.

36:30 – You are part of a large successful company SAP, but you are also an entrepreneur—a nut farmer—how did that start?

38:45 – How being part of a community of farmers has provided Ryan a unique perspective on how to deliver value through the SAP Business Exchange.

40:45 – Why communities are so important for small businesses.

44:00 – One of the most important skills a small business owner can have is being able to use data to make adjustments in their business.

47:00 – Advice for running and growing a family business.

49:00 – How the SAP Concur cloud solution helps small businesses, and how to get involved with the free SAP Business Exchange community.

Sponsored by Nextiva, TransUnion ShareAble, Jobber and LinkedIn