The Elemental Workplace: The 12 Elements for Creating a Fantastic Workplace for Everyone

The Elemental Workplace is an in-depth look into the several factors both obvious and not-so-obvious that make a workplace successful and sustainable. Why work at a place that is boring and poorly equipped when you can work at a place that makes you happy and ready to work? In The Elemental Workplace, Usher tells the reader why it is important to have a well-functioning workplace, how to create it, and the different elements that need to be adjusted to make the ideal workplace. I really enjoyed the section that dove into the different elements, and it brought back memories of the different jobs I have worked and the feel of the spaces I worked in.

Usher states that although we cannot quantify the effects of the elements, he knows that “happier, more energized people with better facilities to hand will likely work harder and be more committed, and even potentially more innovative.” What owner or manager wouldn’t want this for his or her employees? He addresses the Six E’s, which are efficiency, effectiveness, expression, environment, ether, and energy, all of which must be maximized to their limitless potentials in a functioning workplace.

I found the chapter on daylight to be very interesting. Because the Circadian rhythm regulates our lives, it is very important for employees to be able to reap the benefits of natural daylight. As explained in the book, artificial light is important because of seasonal changes and to balance the light, but light from the outside is necessary as well.

“Control” was another chapter that I found to be helpful. According to The Elemental Workplace, “Specific factors we may wish to control are thermal comfort (temperature, air velocity…), lighting levels, and noise and the perception of noise.” All of these factors that upper management has control over can be the difference between a very productive versus an unproductive employee. I personally cannot work in very loud environments and would prefer to be in a room that is either quiet or has soft music playing.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to any and all business owners and managers to create a better working space for their employees. There is a short quiz at the end that can be taken to see where your workplace falls within each of the elements. There are both big fixes and small fixes that can be done to improve the workplace.