How to create a positive work atmosphere at your company
“If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers and your business will take care of itself.” – JW Marriott
Hiring the perfect employees for your business is a difficult task and getting the most out of them is even more so. Employees are susceptible to performance fluctuations for a multitude of reasons. One recurring problem is that they just don't like working for the company they're currently employed at. This problem can be solved by inculcating a positive work atmosphere at the office. If employees look forward to going to work of their own volition, there's no need to motivate them on a regular basis. They'll also work more productively and will stay on for longer periods. Here's are four things that need to be done to make this happen:
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Genuinely care for your employees
For most employees, the company they work at is just a place where they grind themselves to the bone every day in exchange for a pay-check at the end of the month. This attitude is understandably detrimental for a company's work culture. Demonstrating genuine care for employees, however, is a great way to boost morale. Showing employees that your company cares about them as individuals and doesn’t just view them as proverbial spokes in a wheel makes them care for the company as well. When that happens, they'll actually look forward to coming to work.
Listen to your employees
Intentional listening, that is listening with the intent to act, is a critical tool leaders should practise to boost employee morale. Constantly issuing orders to employees without asking them for inputs undermines their feeling of self-worth. Establishing a two-way communication in the office is crucial for getting employees more involved with the running of the business. It's a manager's responsibility to notice when an employee is struggling with a problem, whether work-related or personal, and find a solution for it.
Foster healthy relationships in the office
If employees begin viewing each other as friends instead of colleagues or acquaintances, it creates an environment of collaboration and trust which results in higher motivation levels. Fostering a sense of community at the workplace has no hidden ‘company agenda’, it's simply a great way to make working there a more enjoyable experience. It also has an added benefit of fostering a stronger emotional connection between employees and the organisation.
Make work hassle-free
Solving the inconveniences employees face in their day-to-day work is an excellent way to bolster positivity in the workplace. Find out the problems employees face, regardless of how minor they are, and attempt to solve them if possible. Also, as a leader it’s important that you don't micro-manage. Constantly asking your employees for reports and updates hinders their work and robs them of initiative. Clearly tell them what needs to be done and then give them space to do it. You obviously hired them because they can do their work, now give them the opportunity to do so with as much ease as possible.
Creating a positive work atmosphere is a continuous process, and it requires effort on a daily basis. But, if created successfully, a positive work culture is far more beneficial for a business than any strategy or policy it cares to implement.
