[Viraj]

Originally Posted by akula

Sure...there's a proven link between workplace environment and employee productivity, usually termed the hawthorne effect

Thanks Akula that was an interesting read.

I also got this link from the Wikipedia article above, nice share!

[akula]

yes, joe kraus is an interesting entrepreneur because he is very good at technically executing his various roles as an investor, founder, manager and director

he has the skills to pick the right kind of company to start, he has the skills to put together the right teams, he has the skills to make the teams work properly, and he has the skills to manage the board in a way that doesn't kill the company

this is rare. only very few entrepreneurs can’t pick good investment opportunities, even less entrepreneurs can aggregate the resources to effectively establish the startup; even less entrepreneurs can manage all the changes and make sure the company survives; and it's only very, very rarely that founders can put together the right boards and engineer a great exit

other uniquely skilled entrepreneurs like Joe are Niklas Zennstrom and Martin Varsavsky

[GhostFac3]

I like this because this is what me and my partner are trying to do. We are a startup, but not necessarily in the tech arena. We want to create a workspace that allows our employees to relax, but at the same time be productive. In a sense we don't want our employees to be bored during downtimes when orders could be few in number for a bit, but we also don't want the relaxed atmosphere to breed laziness for when a order does come through and they just don't 'feel' like performing their duties. We have talked about have a couch area with a TV where the drivers could kick back and play a quick game of Madden or NBA or something just to fill the time, but we are not entirely sure could this help or hurt.

[Viraj]

Originally Posted by akula

...Niklas Zennstrom...

Speaking of Niklas Zennstrom...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6729509.stm

Came across this just today, I agree with what he's saying - especially about Web 2.0 being just a label and nothing more.

I mean how can you distinguish a web 2.0 website? Sleek/glossy layout? You can incorporate that into pretty much any website!

[Unreal030]

Originally Posted by GhostFac3

I like this because this is what me and my partner are trying to do. We are a startup, but not necessarily in the tech arena. We want to create a workspace that allows our employees to relax, but at the same time be productive. In a sense we don't want our employees to be bored during downtimes when orders could be few in number for a bit, but we also don't want the relaxed atmosphere to breed laziness for when a order does come through and they just don't 'feel' like performing their duties. We have talked about have a couch area with a TV where the drivers could kick back and play a quick game of Madden or NBA or something just to fill the time, but we are not entirely sure could this help or hurt.

I think it could work. I don't think its so much whether or not your environment can breed laziness, but moreso the rules and fail safes set in place to discourage people from shifting across the line from an easy going nature to a lazy one, many places that have had that problem through an encouraging and enjoyable workplace are due to the fact they did not foresee the possible issues that might arise and created rules and measures to prevent such activity and to better clarify what would be considered proper behavior and what would not be, when taking advantage of said environment.

[MoneyMagnet]

Here is a company that people would die for. It goes hand in hand with the topic. I tried looking for the video of this. There was an interview by 60 Minutes. Here is an article by CBS of the company....if anyone can find the video of it, post it. The company is SAS, a software company.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/...in550102.shtml

[Young Spark]

I agree with Ghost on this one, that is a great idea but I'd recommend putting it in a place such as the lunch area. This will allow fun to be experienced during lunch breaks... but maybe offering some other benefits could possibly be an additive as well, its all about being creative and knowing your boundaries of what is going to construct a "lazy" team and a "productive" team.

With that being said, any advice or tips on how people do such things?