Most people have never had the opportunity to move office buildings, let alone a new desk in some organizations. Moving to another location is just as stressful for employees as it is for the taskforce challenged with keeping employees, executives, and the movers organized. Believe it or not, there’s a heightened level of stress of the unknown, almost like the first day at a new school.
As the lead organizer tasked with making sure employees make it to their fresh new desk on Monday, here are a few tips to keeping the stress levels down, the productivity on point, and your success for pulling this off, in the bag.
Clearly Communicate Your Office Move Plans
If you haven’t pulled together your taskforce of at least one executive, facilities, IT, and a few volunteers, do that first. Moving, whether people recognize it or not, is everyone’s responsibility, and you’ll need effort and representation from those areas to pull a move off effectively. If your company has hundreds of employees, think about creating leadership pods throughout the company so they can replicate your plan at scale.
The key to decreasing problems and a breakdown in your office moving plan is high touchpoint communication and organization. Think about how your employees currently communicate announcements – Slack, email, office posters, one-on-ones with managers, town hall meetings. These are all channels you should use to communicate your moving plans. With everyone talking about the plan, employees will start to feel more at ease with the approaching move date. Professional moving companies in New York, like CRS Movers, can provide templates at the beginning of your planning to help. Contact us for more information on a move plan and free logistics planning.
Be Prepared with Your New Office Layout
With apprehension about a new location, comes with – “Where am I going to sit and will my stuff be there?” Many people are highly concerned if their stuff will arrive. Like waiting at the airport luggage carousel waiting for your baggage to arrive, it’s stressful. People also want to know where they will sit and how close they’ll be to their favorite coworkers.
As you’re working on a layout with team managers and executives, ask the hard questions to make sure employees will have a smooth transition into their new office. Creating a layout to share with your workforce should be one of the top pieces of communication to decrease questions about where to go, initial stress levels, and uncover possible tensions with seating arrangements. Providing a layout will also open up options for people who want to pack up their own stuff, take it home (if the company allows), and set up their desk on Day 1.
Have a Moving Milestone Party
Your staff likely created a lot of memories at your old office space. Babies were born, promotions happened, and team mates came and went who made an impression on your career. Nostalgia can set in, and it’s a great time to hold a moving party for people to share their stories and celebrate a new chapter in their career. It’s also a perfect time to recognize the team who pulled together your office move. This took time out of their regular jobs and probably incurred additional work hours to make sure your staff has everything they need to prepare for the move.
If you’re planning to move over the weekend, talk with your management team about holding something at lunchtime on the preceding Friday so people who commute can participate in the festivities. If you need to move during the week, find an appropriate time that fits for your company.
Double Check Your Moving Checklist
While many of these tips are about keeping your employees stress-free, that can’t happen if you’re not confident in your execution and planning. Look at your checklist and look at it again. Make sure you lean on your task force to think about where there could be gaps in your arrival. When you’re approaching move day, sit down with your moving company to review potential setbacks and decide on new backup plans as needed.
If you do have any problems that arise, make sure you properly communicate this with your staff and let them know what the new plan will be. Your employees will undoubtedly thank you for being communicative.
Keep A Good Attitude During Move Day
By the time you get to move day, hopefully your employees will be at ease and confident about their new office space. The job really isn’t done until the last problem is solved. It’s your job to take on the challenge of keeping not just a good, but a great attitude until the end. Many people are just not adept to change, and that’s ok. When you provide a great attitude while solving someone’s problem, this can go a long way.
Get A Free, Professional Moving Planning Session
Even with all of the best moving tips, packing and moving an office is still overwhelming. That’s why you need a professional moving team like CRS Movers on your side. CRS Movers offers expert-level corporate moving and storage services for businesses of all sizes. For more than a decade, we’ve been committed to making every move seamless from start to finish. If your New York business is planning a move, we want to be there for you every step of the way. Call our office at 718-682-7846 for your free consultation or fill out our online contact form today.
