Modern office culture is miles beyond the way it used to be. You used to punch in, do your job, maybe chat a little around the water cooler during a break from your cubicle and then punch out and go home. The same cycle would be repeated the following day and throughout the work week. Yes, you were productive but you were also essentially a worker drone.
Nowadays companies work harder to keep employees happy and engaged and one way to do that is with a ping pong table. It may sound far too simple, but the reality is that happy employees will give the company they work for much more of their time and effort and are likely to stay longer. Here are a few reasons why a ping pong table should be in your office.
1 – Although It Is A Distraction, It Is One Of The Good Kind
Sitting in front of a flickering computer screen for eight or more hours per day is not good for you. Not only is it going to impact your vision over time, but your posture may be compromised and there are a whole lot of additional health issues that can result from sitting in one place for most of your day. Getting up and moving around will help but a stroll to the break room for a coffee is not the same as a fast game of ping pong with a co-worker. The physical activity that comes from playing ping pong will refresh you and help with your overall health.
2 – It Is A Good Way To Use Up That Otherwise Empty Office Space
There is no doubt that the amount of office space your company uses has reduced from what it once was. Either from computerization or that dreaded downsizing phase, there is going to be a fair amount of room that isn’t being used efficiently. A ping pong table from GiftWits would not only help to occupy that empty space but it will turn that spot into a social area. Seeing employees sharing quality time playing ping pong is a far better use of that empty office space than just filling it with extra furniture or using it for storage.
3 – Ping Pong Will Help To Sharpen Strategic Thinking And Other Skills
Although ping pong may not be the first game to come to mind when considering strategic play, it does qualify. It is sort of a sneaky way to get employees to exercise that process while they think they are on a break. Concentration, alertness and hand-eye coordination are all exercised when playing ping pong and for most employers, those skills are important in any job setting. When skills can be massaged in a fun and entertaining way, it does not come across as a workshop or seminar. The more fun it is to do, the more it will be done.
4 – It Allows You To Work Out A Bit Of Competition
There isn’t an office in the world where there isn’t at least a bit of competition between employees or departments. A fun way to work off some of the competitive angst that can build up over time in the office is with a friendly game of ping pong. We say ‘friendly’ because in such a setting it permits the competition to be decided and it becomes a decision that results from a fun experience. Plus, when teams take on each other in an informal ping pong tournament it helps to give the members of each side a way to focus that competitive spirit in the workplace.
5 – A Ping Pong Table In The Office Will Unite Your Team
Ping pong is one of those activities that almost anyone can play. In an office setting, the non-players of any team can still participate by offering moral support and cheering for their side. With the competitive nature of this kind of sport, it assists in bringing the members of a team (or department) closer together. Strengths and weaknesses are revealed and a good team manager can utilize this information to improve the team dynamic by matching employee skills with specific project tasks. This exercise will cause the team to function better.
6 – You Will Have An Opportunity To Build Better Office Relationships
New to this office or department? Haven’t been able to meet the rest of the team working in the other part of the building? A ping pong table in the office brings employees together in a social gathering where they can get to meet and learn about each other. Also, because playing sports during work hours shows you a different side of someone, you may discover that the manager who rubs you the wrong way is not such a bad guy after all.
7 – It’s A Sneaky Way To Introduce Fitness Into The Office
Just by moving around your heart gets a mini-workout. When your heart beats a little harder, it improves blood circulation which sends oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. The regular workout you will receive from a daily game of ping pong will burn calories which could result in weight loss. At the very least, you will feel better and be able to move better. Your mind will be clear and you will see that project sitting on your desk in a much better light than when you left it to go to the ping pong table.
In Conclusion
Office culture has changed considerably over the past decade or so. Instead of getting a department pumped up and ready to succeed with a pep talk in the lunch or break room, a ping pong table provides better results. It brings employees together, improves their thinking skills, health and attitude. A ping pong table in the office improves productivity and contributes to happy staff which reduces turn over and the cost of retraining. There are so many good reasons to have a ping pong table in your office, what are you waiting for?