Creating a Positive Workplace
Being considered a good place to work by your employees involves a lot of components. It’s a known thing in these times that a positive company culture is one of the most crucial aspects of a quality work environment, along with location and time flexibility as well as purpose.
With people having many options for where to work right now, standing out as an ideal workplace can be competitive. Just like your products and/or services; you want to keep up with market and industry trends that your clients and employees value, while at the same time differentiate yourself enough to catch the attention of the people you’re trying to call in.
Something that has not been considered by many companies as of yet is the power of positivity and availability.
It’s inevitable that no matter what industry you’re in or line of work you do, moments of challenge and frustration come up, and can sometimes last for seasons. However, it is in how these moments are handled that differentiate your company as the one that people want to work for and stay at.
Here are some things to consider when trying adding more positivity and openness to your company:
1. It Starts with Leadership
Everything has a trickle-down effect. If the company executives and managers exemplify a positive approach to everything they do, it will make employees more comfortable and they will also begin to demonstrate positivity. Make it a priority for everyone on your leadership team to learn how to have positive interactions with all employees.
2. There are Many Ways to Exhibit Positivity
From the language you use in your company-wide emails to the way you deliver news and explain concepts in one-on-one meetings, there is always a way to communicate in a more uplifting and/or encouraging manner. While it may take a bit of effort to tweak your communication style, it will pay off in the long run in the form of longer employee tenure, better performance, and better energy in the office or on-site.
3. It’s ok for Moments to get Personal Once in a While
As a manager, there will be things that your employees go through that affect their work in both a positive and negative way. This goes for attendance, time-management, communication, etc. While it used to be looked down upon for work and personal matters to be mixed, realistically sometimes that’s what needs to happen for a better understanding. If an employee chooses to share something from their personal life that is affecting their work life, coming from a place of empathy (instead of pushing the matter away) will give you more insight. Having perspective about why something is happening will give you and your employee the chance to come up with a solution together.
4. The Ability and Willingness to Listen is Crucial
Part of offering a positive working environment is letting employees be heard. Whether they’re coming to you with a question, concern, or suggestion; hearing them out and actually considering what they’re saying will lead to better output on their part and could even benefit the rest of the company.