If your company's outdoor space consists of a decade old picnic table and a couple of wild patches of grass, it's time to rethink how and where you work. Consider what it takes to go outside of the box. And now that most essential electronics are wireless, it's easier than ever to work from almost anywhere, including an outdoor work space. With the large variety of outdoor tables, seating and decor that’s available, it's easy to create an outdoor office with a little bit of space planning and must haves.

With the right set up, your employees will benefit from a change of scenery and fresh air. It gives them a chance to step away from their cubicles and pods to work together out-of-doors in a creative setting.

Hold an Outdoor Company Meeting

Get the creative juices flowing by designing a meeting space that’s outside the office with room for everyone. Incorporate a large table that allows your staff to bring their laptops outside for meetings. A large table should provide enough space for chairs for all of your employees and additional room for files that need to be reviewed or samples that are being introduced.

You can add a large umbrella to offer a little shade and protect employees from the sun on hot days. Fresh air helps employees to stay alert and pay attention to the speaker during a long meeting. Add decorative outdoor baskets to the area to use as storage containers for the space, and also include a trash can and a bin for recycling water bottles.

You can use love seats, sofas, chairs and coffee tables to create an outdoor setting that’s conducive for frank conversations or brainstorming sessions. Upper management can move their monthly, stuffy indoor meeting to the outdoor space to enjoy the scenery and take care of business in a relaxed setting. They can also use the company's wireless network to share presentations and other items while in the outdoor area.

Celebrate a Win Outdoors

From landing a major client to meeting the yearly sales goal, your company enjoys celebrating all of its successes both big and small. Moving the next birthday party or company anniversary outside adds a new level of excitement and fun. Furnishing your outdoor space with a sampling of large and small tables, different styles of chairs and cool accessories helps to create a collaborative and fun ambience and encourages your employees to mingle with each other in new ways.

Adding a grill to your outdoor space makes it easy to celebrate a business success or special event with a team cookout or potluck gathering. Everyone can show off their cooking talents and bring a side dish or dessert. Arrange the prepared foods on the outdoor “dining room” table for everyone to share.

Space for Private Meetings

When two or three employees need to work together or hold a meeting, a smaller bistro style table with chairs can provide enough space for an intimate meeting or work session. The smaller table size helps to create a more personal feel to the work space. You can integrate outdoor furniture and decor to add a sense of privacy, such as an outdoor privacy screen. This screen provides extra security from prying eyes and reduces the noise coming from others also using a shared outdoor space.

You can also enhance a private space with a variety of outdoor chairs. With thick padding, these chairs are comfortable for long work sessions. Create conversation groups by pairing these chairs together or in large numbers depending on the desired size of the work space, or let employees reconfigure the space to meet their current needs.

Creating an outdoor work space is easy. It just takes some thought and planning as to how you will be using it.  With so many choices in outdoor furniture, you can create a formal or informal work place depending on the needs of your employees. Use these spaces for departmental meetings, management functions and one-on-one conversations with staff. Brainstorming sessions thrive in an outdoor setting that is more casual than an official office setting. Adding outdoor lighting and free-standing heaters let you use your outdoor space year round.