Creating a positive work culture is one of the most important things you can do when you establish your brand. No one likes working for a company that they feel is toxic or stagnant in terms of the work environment. One study by Deloitte cemented this idea by confirming that 88 percent of employees and 94 percent of employers feel that having a strong company culture is paramount to a successful business.
We want to take a look at some ways you can encourage a positive environment in your workspace, regardless of whether you’re an employee or employer.
Give Praise when it’s Due
First, you have to be willing to give praise when it’s due. This tip is especially important for business owners but can be effective for employees who want to pay their coworkers a compliment.
As an employer, you can give praise in multiple ways. The most common way to acknowledge your employees is through an employee of the month program. You can use a variety of metrics to determine the most valuable employee of the month and give them a special spot on the company website and you can thank them for their hard work within the company chat channel.
While we are talking about chat channels, employers should think about adding a channel that allows co-workers to compliment each other. It’s much easier and more approachable for new employees to thank the veteran workers for helping them out.
As an employee, you may want to consider using the specified chat channel for praising your co-workers for helping you with a big project. If there is no chat channel available, feel free to send them a private message or thank them face to face, providing you work in an office. We are all hard-wired to help others and the praise we get for going above and beyond the call of duty can do wonders for the overall work environment.
Turn Bad Situations Into Learning Experiences
The next tip on our list involves turning bad experiences into positive events. For example, if you have a situation where a customer is irate, this can bring down the morale and damage the positivity within your company. Instead of letting this negative experience fester, turn it into something that can be viewed as productive and positive.
In the above situation, you would want to go over the call with the employee and let them know that they did everything possible to resolve the customer complaint. Then, go through the steps you would have taken to resolve the issue. This tactic can help you build a stronger customer service team. You have to be willing to look at the bad things that tend to pop up during work and learn to make it positive and educational.
On the flip side, let’s say you are an employee and realize you made a huge mistake while analyzing the analytics numbers. Instead of stressing over the situation, explain to your boss that you made a mistake and you’ll make sure that it doesn’t happen again. You can then ask your employer if they can go over the Google analytics information with you again so you can make sure you’re doing it the right way moving forward. Small gestures like this encourage positivity and can have a huge impact on the way employers and employees collaborate.
Communication is Key
Finally, you have to create an environment where communication is always happening. If people are able to reach each other at a moments notice, it reduces the risk or a miscommunication or toxicity in the workplace.
There are a few ways you can improve the way your team communicates. First, we recommend downloading a chat program with alternative chat channels and private messaging. You’ll find that it’s much easier to keep things running smoothly when you can contact other employees or your employer as soon as an issue arises.
You may also want to consider holding weekly meetings if you’re an employer. If you have a remote team, this communication will likely take place over video software. On the other hand, you could opt for physical meetings if you work in an office building or in the same city.
Conclusion
There are numerous ways to improve the culture at your job if you’re a base level employee, a supervisor, or an owner. You have to be willing to accept everyone and learn to communicate efficiently while resolving technical problems within the business. Many business owners are discovering that by opening up the line of communication at work, they are far more likely to succeed in their industry.