Part of Orterra’s philosophy is not only to make our clients happy and produce designs they love. It is also to have a great working environment and have fun while we work. One of the things we do to ensure this happens is to have our dogs come into the office. They have a few advantages which make us much more productive.
Reduce Stress
They help reduce stress levels and ensure we don’t sit at a desk all day. Sometimes work can be stressful. Things go wrong, deadlines need to be met. Having them around helps us be able to cope better with these intense periods. It means we can think more clearly and ensure we get the best results for our clients.
We get to look away from our screens. Everyone who works in an office knows what it is like to stare at a screen all day. It is not good for us. Having something else that we need to take a break from is great for our health. We also work in a building which has other companies in other rooms throughout the building. The dogs often go for walks and say hello. They visit other companies throughout the day and have made us a lot more social. They greet visitors as they come in the door and generally try and obtain as many pats as possible from anyone that they can (you have been warned for when you visit). We chat to everyone in the building when they are around, and we hear about how they are going. Ensuring we touch base with the people around us.
There are cuddles and obligatory walks required periodically. They make us get up, walk out of the office and get some fresh air. Stretch our legs and we have found we are more productive when they are around.
They Help with Problems
They are entertaining and believe it or not often help with the designs. How do you ask? Well sometimes when you have a design problem, one of the best ways to work it out is to allow your mind to think about it subconsciously while you are doing something else. Playing fetch can help work through problems.
They bring their own personalities and fun to the place. So in all, they keep us amused help us realise that even when things are going wrong it will be ok and provide companionship and team bonding.