Moving to a new office is a complicated and stressful project. There are ways to minimise the mess and keep to business as usual during the transition.

Here are some important things to remember if you want to remain productive during an office move. 

Plan Well in Advance 

The specifics of the move should be settled well ahead of the day the move happens. This includes concluding the new lease agreement, settling all logistics with your professional moving service, assigning tasks to move-day leaders within the company, and having a detailed timeline of events for the big day. It's also important to craft a polite, consistent message to clients and partner organisations informing them about the effective date of the move and the company's new address.

Delegate Responsibilities

If the company operates with multiple teams — sales, marketing, accounting, IT, etc. — a representative from each team should be in charge of making sure the team is ready for the move. Each team's moving process should be a miniature version of the overall company moving plan, from a timeline to any material logistics specific to the team's needs.

Communication is vital for delegating tasks during the transition. There should be a system of routine check-ins and meetings, as well as shared terminology, between everyone involved.

Move Teams and Departments in Stages

Attempting to move an entire branch in a single day will always eliminate a day of work. It's possible to break the moving process up across multiple days, starting with the least essential materials and ending with the company components that are essential for operations. This can even include teams. For instance, it's beneficial to allow the accounting team to get settled in the new location before moving sales and marketing. Everyone will feel less crowded if they don't all have to move at once.

Take Advantage of Temporary Telecommuting

Technology creates more opportunities for business and helps keep production on schedule. If it's possible for some workers to do their jobs from home, then they can temporarily transition into a telecommuting role, so work doesn't stop during the move. In this situation, maintaining strong communication habits, like regular emails, phone calls, and other check-in systems are especially important.

Set and Stick to Goals 

Achievement is often a product of expectations. Even the most devoted workers may experience a dip in focus if they perceive the transitional period of the move as a time of lowered expectations for productivity. The company should continue setting typical goals, benchmarks, and quotas throughout the moving period to remind everyone in the organisation that the move should be nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Managers can even offset the distraction of the move by offering special incentives for teams who meet certain productivity goals despite it. 

Staying on task and minimising the shake-up of an office move is all about good planning. By nailing down the details, maintaining excellent communication, demonstrating flexibility, and motivating workers to be at their best during the transition, the move can be a positive experience for everyone involved.

To learn more about moving your office, contact Chess Moving on 13 14 69, or read more about our corporate relocation solutions.