Remember that time—maybe two, three, or even ten years ago—when you were totally jazzed about some new artwork your office bought? It was awesome and your employees loved it. Landscapes, abstracts, even some classic prints, maybe. The office felt fun, hip, and you were pretty proud of your space.
Keep this in mind – we’re talking about a memory. Look around now. Do you feel the same way about your artwork? Have you heard your employees talking about it recently? Your clients? If I had to guess, some of the magic is gone, right?
Well, probably. Art is an investment and we get that. Once you pay for it, you’ll want to get the most out of it. But in reality, once the artwork has been around for a long time, it can lose its luster. If this seems about right to you, here are a few things that your office artwork isn’t doing for you anymore:
Keeping your employees happy
Having beautiful artwork in the office can go a long way in improving your company’s work environment and inspiring employees, but after awhile, it can have the inverse affect. As artwork ages, employees begin to notice it less and less. The effect it once had can become muted as it blends into the rest of its surroundings.
In fact, employees can even get sick of it over time, especially if it becomes tied to a bad memory. Rough sales month? Your team needs a refresh and seeing the same art day after day isn’t helping to reinvigorate them. Maybe there was a snafu in accounting? That portrait by your CFO’s desk is mocking him to this day.
According to a study from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, temporal landmarks have what they deem as the “Fresh Start Effect.” The study proves that changing key elements in an individual’s environment is directly tied to the promotion of aspirational behavior. In other words, change like this allows employees to leave behind bad memories and enter a new mental phase, peppered with optimism and a desire for improvement.
On the other hand, maybe things are going swimmingly at your company. Perhaps you’re making a big hiring push and you have an influx of new employees. They may or may not enjoy the art on your walls; however, your old artwork is most likely not reflective of the new direction your company is taking. Here’s a situation where it would behoove your company to involve these new employees in selecting artwork for their environment. In fact, its been shown that 72% of employees at companies that involve them in decisions regarding their workspace see the company as being more innovative and having a leadership that cares about fostering innovation, versus 40% at companies that don’t.
These are just a few scenarios, but you get the idea. Your artwork should reflect the goals and interests of your people. They’ll notice, and it’ll inspire greater productivity and happiness at work.
Helping your company’s culture
The previously mentioned statistic is indicative of this. If you’re not changing your artwork at least semi-regularly, there’s no way your employees can be involved with that element of molding their own space. Involving employees in the selection of artwork, not only helps them see your company as being innovative – it’s a great culture-building event. If you need further proof, just read this story.
Having a well-maintained space, with a keen appreciation for the aesthetics of artwork shows that management cares about the employee experience, which is the foundation of building culture. It creates a sense of pride among employees in their environment, and by extension, their company. While office layout and amenities also help show this level of care, nothing stands out and gets noticed like fresh artwork.
Maintaining your client relationships
Your employees aren’t the only people that notice stale artwork. So do your clients – especially those that have been working with your organization for a longer period of time. Being greeted by the same artwork again and again when visiting your office can leave a bad taste in their mouth. It shows a certain stagnation in your business and a propensity towards the status quo.
More than ever, clients of businesses across industries can find new companies to provide them services, especially with the growth of teleconferencing. Companies that create a dynamic office environment are able to inspire their clients to enjoy their visits and give them a reason to keep coming back.
New artwork also creates an opportunity to improve client communication. Aside from simply spurring casual conversations with clients, new art also can indicate a new direction your company is taking or a growth in its culture. It creates a positive sentiment, even if it goes unspoken.
One last benefit of rotating artwork is that it creates a visible illustration of financial buoyancy. After all, a company must be doing well if they’re regularly adding new artwork, right? Well, rotating art is more cost effective solution than purchasing art, but don’t worry – we won’t tell!
If you’d like to learn more about what new art – and better yet, rotating art can do for your company, check out the eBook below!
