According to Gettysburg College, the average full-time employee spends approximately one-third of their life at work. Full-time employees also typically spend more waking hours with coworkers than they do with their own family members. Given how much time your team members dedicate to helping your business succeed, it’s important to provide them with a positive work atmosphere.
Beyond the physical layout of the workspace, work culture can have a huge impact on how enjoyable the office environment is. The attitudes and outlooks of your collective team can have an almost palpable effect on how the workspace feels. If you’ve noticed alarming behaviors like backbiting, laziness, negativity, and overall low morale, it’s time to make some changes. Here are five ways to foster a more positive work culture.
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1. Promote Good Work/Life Balance
If you want to boost company morale and foster a positive work culture, start by promoting optimal work/life balance. Doing so will improve employee well-being and productivity. It will also reduce your turnover rate and help you retain talent. There are many ways you can promote good work/life balance, including offering flexible work schedules and generous paid time off. You may also want to look into offering a corporate discount program so workers have an easier time affording vacations.
More employers are choosing to implement corporate discount programs because they know the positive effects they can have on work culture. By making flights, car rentals, theme park tickets, and other vacation expenses more affordable, these programs encourage employees to have more fun. Research shows that taking time off boosts worker productivity. You can keep your employees happy and benefit business.
2. Set the Tone From the Top Down
The way executives, managers, and other company leaders act sets a precedent for others to follow. If the leadership in your company engages in petty, lazy, or confrontational behavior, junior-level employees will likely follow. Instead of expecting your team to act responsibly while you do the opposite, set a positive example. Think of the type of work environment you want to create, then model the types of behaviors and values that are conducive to that environment.
For example, if you want to minimize office gossip, don’t participate in degrading conversations about others. And shut it down when you hear about it. Instead, work to make your conversations positive and uplifting. Always encourage your employees to lift and support each other rather than engage in degrading and destructive gossip. You may also want to establish a zero-tolerance policy regarding office bullying and harassment. Let workers know your organization will take swift corrective action if these types of behaviors occur.
3. Encourage Open Communication
In your quest to create a positive work environment, it can be tempting to forbid people from airing their frustrations. But doing so would be a mistake. When people feel muzzled at work, they’re more likely to suffer in silence while becoming progressively more dissatisfied. They may also experience trepidation and other negative emotions in the workplace.
Encouraging open communication is one of the best ways to foster a positive work culture. Let your team members know they can freely share their ideas, suggestions, and constructive feedback without negative repercussions. If they have specific grievances, invite them to share them with management so you can make changes as needed. When workers feel respected and heard, morale and performance tend to improve. Just remember the key to making them feel heard is to truly listen to their concerns and take action to resolve issues.
4. Recognize Good Work
If you don’t currently have an employee recognition program in place, it’s time to create one. Doing so will help workers feel more motivated to consistently put out their best work. It will also help them feel valued and improve a culture of good-natured competition. There’s no single “right” way to recognize and reward staff. Ask workers whether they prefer monetary rewards such as cash bonuses or nonmonetary rewards such as parties or gifts.
Some companies hold weekly or monthly employee recognition meetings where they highlight a few top-performing workers. Others choose to host annual or semi-annual recognition parties where they reward everyone at once for their efforts throughout the year. For optimal morale-boosting benefits, develop a recognition system that recognizes and rewards accomplishments on both individual and teams.
5. Surprise Employees
Everyone loves a surprise (as long as it’s a positive one!). Think of the last time someone did something nice for you out of the blue. You probably felt an immediate mood boost as a result of their actions. That’s because being positively surprised causes a surge of dopamine in the brain. It also encourages greater engagement and concentration.
To utilize the power of surprise in the workplace, figure out ways to break the monotony every once in a while. This might look like unexpectedly bringing in lunch for the entire office or renting out a movie theater during work hours. As long as it’s a positive surprise, you can’t really go wrong.
Happy employees tend to be more productive and innovative than disgruntled employees. As a CEO, manager, or other senior-level employee, you have a great degree of influence over the company culture. Use these tips to foster a more positive work environment, help team members feel appreciated, and reduce your turnover rate.
