How to create a positive atmosphere at work
Your attitude, motivation, mental health, and productivity are all affected by your work environment. Employees who work in a gloomy office with obnoxious co-workers are unlikely to speak up because they lack the confidence or job satisfaction to do so.
As a result, creating a positive work environment is critical to your company’s success. Creating a pleasant work environment inspires and engages your employees more deeply, resulting in higher job satisfaction and employee retention, as well as lower stress levels.
Your staff will feel more free to discuss ideas for the success of your firm, which can help it develop. A healthy workplace can also increase employee productivity.
What constitutes a positive work environment?
When it comes to building a healthy work environment, you should also consider your office space. Consider the following questions:
- Do your staff have enough room to finish their work without obstructing the work of others?
- Are you allowing your employees to maintain their privacy while still ensuring that they are open about how they use their time at work?
- Do you provide areas for employees to take breaks or discuss work-related issues with their coworkers?
However, building a positive environment extends far beyond the confines of your office. You should also consider the following:
- What opportunities do you create for your employees to get together outside of the office for fun group activities that can boost team morale and assist your organisation achieve its mission?
- Do your staff understand your company’s mission?
- Do you allow your staff to work from home if they are sick or need to attend to personal matters?
- How many paid days off, vacation days, personal days, and sick days do you allow?
All of these things have an impact on the overall productivity and success of your company. Here are a few ways you can try to create a more positive atmosphere in your office.
1. Be more selective about who you hire
Successful organisations understand that recruiting the appropriate people is the first step toward creating a great work environment. Examine your employees to determine if they are professional and work well with others.
People who are already employed are subject to the same notion. Employees who work with toxic people are more likely to become toxic themselves, resulting in a toxic work environment at your organisation.
One lousy attitude at work can have a knock on effect on everyone’s daily performance. Though eliminating workers who are toxic to your business is a difficult task, it has a positive impact on the working environment, which is felt by both employees and customers.
2. Create better vibes
Lighting has a significant impact on employee performance and attitude. According to an article published by MBA@UNC, the online MBA school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, exposure to natural light enhances mood, energy, and mental health, which has a significant impact on focus and productivity. According to a poll conducted by Pots Planters & More, nearly half of office workers believe their workplace has little to no natural light.
Where natural daylight isn’t accessible, blue-enriched light bulbs can help with weariness, happiness, and overall work performance. This can be useful in brainstorming spaces, meeting rooms and so on, where collaboration and communication is key.
Warmer tones also promote peace and relaxation. In conference rooms, use medium tones to greet staff while keeping them alert.
Don’t forget to liven the office and boost productivity by playing some music at work. Studies show that music can boost spirits and improve performance, as well as reduce stress levels.
3. Create a welcoming environment at the office.
A clean, appealing office can have huge effects on the relationships we build with our team members, co-workers and management.
Adding some home conforts to the office, squishy furnashings in the break room and a decent coffee maker in the kitchen, and some lushious green plants can go a long way to creating the kind of positive workspace that makes employees want to show up everyday.
You can even give employees more options about how and where they work and incorporating different work spaced in your office. Trust your employees’ ability to manage their own schedules by allowing them to take breaks, play games or simply recharge as needed.
Allow employees to customise their workspace when they choose a location that suits them, as everyone works differently.
4. Strengthen communication.
Consider how you interact with your coworkers. Upper management and team members should focus on how their communication practises effect the formation of a pleasant working environment.
When employees are given positive feedback and shown how their job contributes to the success of the organisation, they are driven and feel appreciated.
Try to include your employees more in the decision-making and don’t be scared to ask employees for their opinion about the office environment and culture.
Now it’s your turn
What are you doing to create a more positive work environment for your staff and colleagues. Try out some of our tips and let us know how you get on in the comments section below.