If you were to do a search on what it means to have a more human workplace, you’d discover it’s defined in different ways—depending on who’s doing the defining.
Recently, I read a few articles on this topic, all published online by well-known companies. What I found was disturbing, because most seemed to focus on how a human workplace benefits the company by creating resilient employees, higher productivity, and higher value for the business. It’s true that a more human workplace is beneficial for a company, but those benefits are a byproduct of a better work environment, not the reasons for creating one.
I applaud those companies for at least addressing the topic, but there needs to be more depth in their approach. It’s easy to view a personnel roster as merely a list of value producing employees, but special attention must be given to the root word “person.” The interests of the business are important, but so is the mental health and overall well-being of the people who work there. If the latter becomes the motivating force behind promoting a human-centered workplace culture, then companies will naturally reap the benefits.
Here are three tips to help create and sustain a more human workplace:
1. Recognize the two core attributes of a great culture.
- Meaning/Purpose: Humans have an innate desire for meaning and purpose in their lives. When an employee feels they’re valued, appreciated, and can utilize their personal strengths, they tend to feel empowered and that there work is meaningful. Purpose doesn’t come with fancy job titles, but when feeling that what you do matters.
- Caring: When leaders of a business genuinely care about the individuals in their charge, those individuals will respond with loyalty, great attitudes, and hard work. More importantly, they will care in return. There’s nothing more beneficial for a company than an employee who cares.
2. Promote gratitude and positivity.
As a leader, it can be challenging to think of ways to promote positivity and gratitude among your people, but no need to overthink it. Simple ideas often carry the most influence. For example: Create a gratitude jar and place it where all employees have access. Encourage them to write anonymous notes of gratitude about a fellow coworker and drop them in the jar. Begin team meetings by passing the jar around and having everyone choose and read one of the notes out loud. This exercise is powerful, and is just one example of how a simple idea can reap incredible benefits.
3. Help your people identify their core values.
When a person is aware of what drives them, it becomes possible for them to align their efforts with their sense of purpose. When leaders invest time in getting to know their people, they can tap into a greater potential. Schedule one-on-one meetings with your team members. Ask them what matters to them and find out what they care about most. Once you’ve helped them realize their own values, you can show them how they can untitles and align them with the values of the company. This creates a personal bond between the employee and the business, and fosters a genuine symbiotic relationship.
4. Cultivate a creative atmosphere.
Instead of pitting employees against one another through programs that cause them to compete with their fellow coworkers, build an atmosphere that encourages their input and creativity. If employees feel safe sharing their feedback and ideas, it opens up their creative minds and problem-solving skills. If they feel they’ll be blown off, or their ideas ridiculed, you can expect they’ll do the bare minimum to get by. Reward them, celebrate successes as a team, and let them know they succeeded by working together.
These four tips are just a start, but if truly implemented, they’ll produce amazing results. Use your imagination and think of other ways to make your workplace environment more human friendly. You could adjust the physical environment to encourage connection and teamwork, or create a few solitary places for when their work requires fewer distractions. Build an environment that fits your people, rather than the other way around.
The bottom line is that it’s possible to build strong businesses and strong people at the same time. In fact, it’s the only model that’s sustainable long term.