How to Build a Positive Work Environment
For many people, ours job could almost be considered our “home away from home.” We spend at least 40 hours a week in the same setting, doing similar things day-to-day with the same people. Often, we find ourselves developing important friendships, lifelong habits, new skills, and many other things that can really affect our lives outside of work.
Work is a very important part of our lives, and as such, it’s essential that your environment at work is one that fosters trust, respect, and understanding.
How can you as a leader build a positive work environment for your employees? Take a look below:
Trust them. Trust is an important part of a positive work environment. You aren’t being paid to babysit your employees; you are there to lead them. As such, it’s important to trust in their skills and abilities to execute the tasks you’ve given them.
Not only does this show that you have confidence in their decisions, it also shows you have confidence in your own decisions since you are the one who hired them in the first place. When employees don’t have someone on their back micromanaging them they can do so much more.
Minimize overtime. Has Joe been clocking in at 6 in the morning and leaving no earlier than 8 at night for the past few weeks? Overtime can cause a lot of problems. Sure, your employees are go-getters and are willing to do what it takes to get the job done, but eventually that amount of hard work can really burn someone out.
Try your best to minimize the overtime by equally distributing the workload, dividing the work up based on ability, or taking on some of the work yourself.
Give some thanks. Your employees work hard—so why not show them a little appreciation? Even if it’s just a simple “thank you for everything you do,” pulling your employees aside and showing them that you appreciate their hard work can shape the way they feel about themselves and their role in the company. That can push their drive even further, and make for a much better work environment all around.
Give them a goal to work towards. No one wants to wander aimlessly through a task every day. As a leader, it’s important to make sure you are adequately explaining to your employees why they are doing what they do. The last thing you want is for them to feel like their tasks (and themselves) are unimportant or not contributing to the company.
Follow through on policies. People want consistency, especially when it comes to specific policies at work. No one wants to get scolded for something they’ve done only to see their co-worker get by with the same thing the following week. Having follow-through and showing that you are consistent in how you treat your employees is huge in the work place because it shows them that everyone is treated as equals, regardless of age or tenure.
What do you think? Do you have any great ways to make a positive work environment? What tips do you have for us? Let us know by connecting with us on Facebook or Twitter. We’d love to hear from you!
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