Work & Play – Should your office combine the two?

Work & Play – Should your office combine the two?

Work & Play: How Your Office Can Combine The Two…

should you combine the two?

We keep raving on about the importance of combining work and play, and we will not stop all the time we’re enjoying ourselves and working hard!

Here at Giant Towers we are known for our ‘different’ approach to office lifestyle. We believe it makes the Giants much more creative in their approach to their work, as well as giving an increase in productivity. Head Boy Danny interviewed CEO Luke Quilter on the topic of work and play, and asked for advice on what you guys can do to try and implement it in your offices:

 

Helping employees to produce better standards of work is what businesses should be aiming to do.fidget spinner Sitting at a desk for hours on end does not inspire productivity and creativity – this can be applied to pretty much any working environment too, so no excuses!

“I think fundamentally if you enjoy what you do on a daily basis you can be more creative, more productive, and ultimately that’s what we try to do. We try to make a space where you enjoy being and therefore produce great work for our clients.” – Luke Quilter, CEO

Obviously, the combination of work and play may not work well for everyone, so it’s important as a business to listen to what your staff believe would benefit them and then actually act upon this in some way. Managers need to be aware that the world of work is ever evolving, that traditional ways aren’t always enough these days. Some may perceive the ways we do things as “work avoidance”, but come on!

luke thorpe parkLuke stressed the importance of talking to your staff and working with them to find out what will work with them to make their working environments more comfortable. But ultimately, you as a company need to work out what you’re happy to adapt and offer.

Offices that are restrictive and keep staff to a strict timetable, it’s like treating them as children. To contradict myself slightly, I should express the importance of letting your inner child come out every now and then, as Luke discussed with BBC Capital not long ago:

“Everyone has that inner child within them but sometimes it’s drilled out of us, particularly in traditional workplace environments. We embrace that here and try to remember what it’s like to have fun. By having fun, everyone becomes more creative.”

We can all recognise the value of games and play as a way of educating children or furthering their knowledge. So why is it frowned upon in the office? We’re not children anymore, sure, but we still all have a lot of learning left to do.

The motivation behind our GC Jedi Box Giveaway was to help inspire you to incorporate work and play but also, to geek out with a load of swag. We love the opportunity to shout about how well our offices combine the two, but we’d love to know how your offices do it. If they don’t yet, we hope to inspire! Let us know on our social accounts or comment below.

GC Jedi Box Prizes Gif

Keep a look out, we’ll be posting more advice from Luke and Danny around the topic of work & play, creativity & productivity, switching off and maintaining a healthy work/life balance. If you have any questions you’d like answered, let us know and we’ll get back to you!

Amber Vellacott

Amber Vellacott

Content Marketing Lead

Follow us on social media for blog updates and more kick-ass learning content to grow your digital skills!

Giant Campus takes on London: #GIANTtalks

Giant Campus takes on London: #GIANTtalks

Giant Campus Takes On London: #GIANTtalks

storytelling through digital marketing

London’s calling… so Giant Campus made their way up to the big smoke to attend #GIANTtalks.

On Tuesday we travelled up to London to attend Giant Talks, an event hosted by our sister company, Sleeping Giant Media, at the amazing Foyles Bookshopin Soho.

We heard from industry professionals on the topic of digital marketing, gaining further insights into the industry through the use of storytelling. These speakers included:

London babyKate Fitzgerald from Google flew over from Dublin to speak on the topic of YouTube – The World is Watching! She spoke about the use of online video content and adverts and how to really capture your audience’s attention. Her talk was really engaging with lots of weird and wonderful advert examples and audience games, competing against each other to win some YouTube goodies.

Seth Hawthorne from Parker Designs explored Creating Authenticity Through Visual Storytelling. Seth explained to us the importance of knowing your brand’s story and making it authentic and recognised by customers. “Authenticity. Fake that and you’ve got it made.”

We also heard from SGM’s very own Managing Director, Anthony Klokkou. He spoke about how to become a hero in digital marketing. He told us that the key is understanding what is at the heart of your customer’s needs. He included some awesome and funny visuals during his presentation, even a quiz which Prefect Amber absolutely sucked at, the shame!

Show timeThe talks attracted some big names to the sign-up list including the likes of HarrodsShellBBC and Herbalife.

GC had such a good time, all the speakers were amazing and the event was really well organised and attended. We were kept constantly engaged and entertained and we learnt a lot. We hope everyone else had a great time.

After the talks, we all met for a drink at the Soho Hotel. It was great to spend some time with Roff & CoSpace Between and Interactive Red.

The next #GIANTtalks is on June 6th at the amazing Brands Hatch and is all about Overtaking Your Competitors. Our very own Head Boy Danny will be delivering a talk at this exciting next event, so it’s not something you can afford to miss!

More information about future Giant Talks is yet to come, so keep a look out.

sleeping giant media and giant campus

Amber Vellacott

Amber Vellacott

Brand & Marketing | Prefect

Follow us on social media for blog updates and more kick-ass learning content to grow your digital skills!

Officising – Keeping active at your desk

Officising – Keeping active at your desk

Officising – Keeping Active At Your Desk

remain active and productive with advice from the pro’s

Here at Giant Towers, we incorporate office exercise as play into our workdays. All done in some rather… unconventional ways.

During a typical work day, us adults spend almost eight hours with our bums glued to our seats. That’s not including sitting down during our commutes, and then sitting on the sofa in front of Netflix all evening.

Our friends at Wellbeing People say that physical inactivity is becoming a real problem in the work place, as well as society as a whole:  

“Remaining active is essential to prevent muscular dysfunction and ill-health; reports suggest that too much sitting can cause high cholesterol, lower back pain, colon cancer and slow blood circulation to name but a few. Try making some small changes to your working day – for example, go for a walk in your breaks, install a sit stand office desk, take regular breaks which include gentle stretches, invest in a fit band to monitor your steps and try to use the stairs and not the lift!”  Justine Clarabut, Wellbeing People

Here are some exercises you can do and things you should consider to keep you active during the day and lessen the effects sitting still can have on your body and mentality. They also won’t interrupt your day, so there is no room for the “I don’t have time” excuse here thank you very much!

17819014_1158087470984466_2743907532849283072_nFirstly, start your day by taking the stairs and avoid the dreaded small talk in the lift. Even if you’re on the seventh floor, like we are, it’s a great way to get your day and heart going. If you can, take two steps at a time.

When you’re sat at your desk why not try a leg raising technique. Depending on your seating arrangements this should be pretty discrete so you can do it all day without weird looks from your coworkers. Simply stretch out your legs and lift them as high as you can one at a time, hold this for two seconds before switching legs. Repeat 15 times with each leg. You can also choose to add a weight, use your bag and lift it by the handles with your feet.

Instead of spending the time writing out an email or dialling an extension, get up from your desk and walk over to the person you want to speak to. Just get up and move! If you don’t have anyone to go and speak to, just stand up and do a full body stretch and shake. It will only look a little bit weird, I promise.

Simple right? These are only a few of the many things you can do. But why not have some fun with it?

At GCHQ, as you’ve probably gathered by now, we incorporate work and play. Our office exercises disguise themselves in creative, playful ways. For example, here are a few things around our office that keep us active and increase productivity:

  • A ball pit. It’s a work out just trying to climb the baby gate into the room, 17882718_243028362768295_3823871450201194496_nlet alone wading through the colourful balls. When people are sat in there during meetings they tend to play and show off their juggling skills. That must work out all of your muscles.
  • Scooters. Surely I don’t need to explain how scooters can be a form of exercise? They’re quite random in an office, yes. But lots of fun, and getting to and from desks is suddenly much more fun and an increase in physical activity.
  • Nerf wars. This one gives you great reflexes and a steady aiming arm. It keeps you on your toes all day so you’re never bored and constantly moving to avoid the incoming bullets.
  • As I mentioned before, our office is on the seventh floor. Taking the stairs rather than the lift is definitely an option. Not one we all take, but it’s nice to know it’s there.
  • We have a darts board, ping pong table and pool table. These are all a good work out, especially the way some people play.
  • There is even a rowing machine in the office. Sometimes staring out over the English Channel all day inspires us to row.

Work and play
Our offices may not be alike, but there’s nothing stopping you from incorporating more fun into your ‘officising’. It’s a well known fact that adult brains can only concentrate for so long before they start to loose focus. Having fun and exercising can increase productivity and make that concentration period that little bit better.

Find a way as an office or as an individual to combine work, play and exercise and become a happier and healthier person during your work day. Let us know how you keep healthy and productive at work by posting on our Twitter or Facebook page.

Amber Vellacott

Amber Vellacott

Content Marketing Lead

Follow us on social media for blog updates and more kick-ass learning content to grow your digital skills!

The 17 desk gadgets you need to spice up your office

The 17 desk gadgets you need to spice up your office

17 Desk Gadgets You Need To Spice Up Your Office

spice up your office with these seventeen desk gadgets

Work and play go hand-in-hand, that is something we strongly believe in here at Giant Campus.

Here is a list of snazzy gadgetry you need to spice up your office.

arcade machine
1.)  A mini, desktop sized Arcade Machine

This item is calling out to the inner child and is a great way to blow off steam in the office. With colour screen and speakers, your desk will be the place to be.

Desktop slingshot

2.) A wooden slingshot

Now, anyone who knows us will know that we have constant office warfare here at Giant Towers. We don’t want to promote violence… but you should totally get one of these to annoy your coworkers and incite battles between you.

USB fridge

3.) A mini USB desk fridge

A mini fridge to keep your lunch and drinks, safe and cool. The fridge plugs into your USB port and then sits happily on your desk. You’ll never have to leave your desk for a cool drink again!

twiddle_cubes_2_

4.) Fidget cube!!!

These are everywhere at the moment, and rightly so. They’re designed for the fidgeters out there to increase concentration, and therefore productivity. If you’re the first one in the office to get the fidget cube, you’ll soon be a trend setter. They’re addictive, they’re fun, they’re a must have.

mag-spheres-1

5.) Magnetic spheres

Create some unique 3D sculptures with this set of magnetic spheres and the magnetic base. It is a great toy to pass the time with and relieve stress. (Although, once the balls leave the base they do loose their magnetism and could roll away, so that could be stressful in itself.)  Make your designs and show off your artistic prowess.

instacube-xl

6.)  Instacube

We are 100% investing in one of these to show off our amazing Instagram feed. This device allows you to see your images on the 600×600 LCD screen, and even includes a button so you can continue to like the photos you see when you’re not on your phone. It also has an internal battery so you really can place it anywhere. This would look great in your office, especially if your Insta is as good as ours.

r2-d2-vacuum

7.) R2-D2 Desktop hoover

When R2-D2 isn’t busy saving lives and repairing spaceships, you could find him keeping your desk crumb and dust free. This little desktop hoover is powered by USB, unfortunately not the force, but he can be trusted to do a good job. If you or a co-worker have a tendency to make a mess of the office, don’t fret! Get R2-D2’s help instead. This will also jazz up your desk so it’s a win-win.

ping-pong-desktop-tennis-b66

8.) Desktop ping pong

This desktop ping pong kit is transportable, so you can take it anywhere. You can play it on pretty much any surface and show your sporty side as you compete against your office. We consider this game to be a healthy distraction, you can’t stay sitting at your desk all day. Plus, depending on how competitive you are, it’s a real workout.

Ring for tea bell

9.) A bell to ring to request a cup of tea

This item is a must-have for any office. Most of the time, no one can be bothered to make their own hot beverages. So, with this bell, you can bug your fellow workers by spamming it until someone makes you one! Or until they throw it out the window/at your head.

oob229_blackboard_mug_yellow_hand

10.) Blackboard mug

On the topic of hot drinks, why not treat yourself or your office to these inexpensive blackboard mugs. This should inspire creativity in the workplace, but also ensure no one gets your tea/coffee order wrong again! Genius.

sma034-smart-bladeless-fan-fmag-lifestyle-1800x1800

11.) A bladeless fan with build in speakers

This super snazzy fan has no blades, how high tech is that? It also has speakers built into it. This won’t only look cool on your desk, it will keep you cool. Ha. It’s small enough that it won’t overcrowd your desk but powerful enough to do its job.

officiser

12.) The Officiser

The Officiser, an active footrest, that will apparently change your life. It was created to target the issue of inactivity in the workplace, so now you have no excuse not to stay active whilst sitting at your desk. It can also help your posture and enhance your mental capacity whilst working. It’s also a great accessory for your desk if you’re a fidgeter!

pal547-pool-table-wb

13.) Tabletop pool (not for swimming in)

This retro pool table fits on top of your desk. We have a full sized pool table in our offices, but for those who don’t this is the best alternative. It’s small enough to transport about the place but big enough to play with your team. Put it on your desk, put it on the filing cabinet or even in the kitchen!

Desktop aquarium and organiser

14.) USB desktop aquarium and organiser 

Now, you might not be able to keep pets at work so you might have to settle with putting fake fish in there instead. But how cool would your desk look with this on it? How much inspiration will these little fishies be able to give you whilst keeping track of the time AND your pens? Do we need to convince you further?

screen-shot-2017-05-05-at-14-10-05

15.) BB8 USB cup warmer

This particular product will prevent your tea or coffee from going cold. Simply plug it into your USB port and place your mug on top and the drink will be kept at the perfect drinking temperature.

USB Clock Fan

16.) A fan, that is also a clock…

This is a clock and a fan combined. Feel cool, look cool… keep on time? Everyone will head over to your desk and have a look and instantly be jealous. It’s futuristic look will encourage you to work hard into your own future, probably?
This item also features in our GC Jedi Training Box – so head on over to our giveaway to win one!

02c868ab-4b9d-465c-ad45-72ff33f45e49_1-f6e6ca8b196103c18e367ab8e12972f617.) And finally, a big ass Nerf Gun

Giant Towers is a constant Nerf battleground, you’ll find a Nerf Gun on everyone’s desk. It’s useful to get someone’s attention across the room, to terrorise your coworkers and, well, it’s super fun. Since they feature so heavily in our office, we thought it only appropriate to recommend they are part of yours.

 

Work and playmake it fun lego

So, what are you waiting for? Start combining work and play. We’ll be throwing out some more info and advice on this topic soon so keep your eyes peeled.

If you have any of these in your office already, or take our advice and get some of the items on the list – let us know!

Amber Vellacott

Amber Vellacott

Content Marketing Lead

Follow us on social media for blog updates and more kick-ass learning content to grow your digital skills!