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A Guide For Creating A Happier Workplace For Your Business

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A happy workplace is one that will improve the satisfaction of staff, increase productivity, and ultimately help your business achieve greater success.

If you are a business looking to create a happier workplace, use this guide for all of the best and effective tips.

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article | A Guide For Creating A Happier Workplace For Your Business

Offer more engagement

Offering more engagement in the workplace will help employees interact more, which will help create better workplace relationships. If your employees do not have a great relationship it could cause tension or delay problems getting fixed. When a problem arises, it is much easier solved when staff is friendly with one another. They will be able to talk through the issue and find a resolution.

Increased employee engagement is important as it will encourage a happier workplace environment, make every member of the team feel involved, and create better relationships.

Show staff your recognition

When staff does something above and beyond or expectations or achieves their work goals, it is good to show them recognition and praise them.

Praising employees will only make them feel more appreciated, which will make them more confident and happy in their job. It could be as simple as giving them a bonus in their monthly paycheck or hosting a lunch to celebrate their success.

Make meaningful conversations

It is common for workplaces to create meaningless conversations to simply continue relationships. Yet, meaningful relationships are what create a happier workplace.

Therefore, it is crucial to create meaningful conversations so that relationships become meaningful. This means to talk about emotions and personal life as much as it does work. Although you might not want to get too personal with your colleagues and employees, it helps to create closer connections so that you can maintain happiness and create trusting friendships.

Reward staff

From time to time, it is a good idea to reward staff (but only those that have shown effort) to show them you appreciate them. It will encourage them to do better and maintain productivity, which will provide benefits for your business.

As much as you will want to reward them with financial benefits, it is a good idea to reward them in other ways. Besides, you will be offering them financial gains to show them recognition when they have achieved something (as mentioned above).

Rewarding staff with longer lunches, in-office parties, and social events is a great way to help them feel encouraged to create relationships and feel appreciated. Small rewards go a long way and will push staff to be productive, motivated, and maintain happiness.

Upgrade the workspace

Giving employees an upgraded workspace will not only help them feel a new sense of excitement to work, but a purposeful workspace will help them stay productive and comfortable.

For instance, adding standing desks and new comfortable chairs will enhance comfort and help people maintain focus for longer. It will also help employees avoid back pains, which will keep them happy.

Likewise, adding brighter lights, larger windows, and decor will make the office a more exciting place to be.

Offer social events

A social workspace is one that is bound to make employees feel happier. The less communication and fun that goes on, the fewer work relationships there will be.

You will want to encourage workplace relationships for the sake of staff’s mental health as well as the success of your business. Staff that communicates will one another can resolve and overcome issues as opposed to feeling tense when an issue arises. The friendly staff will work together to jump over hurdles and come out better on the other end, which will boost their efficiency and offer more success for your business.

Encourage better health

Healthier staff will equate to happier staff. Therefore, it is important to encourage better health in the office. For instance, standing desks is a great way to help people stretch and feel more encouraged to move around while working.

Furthemore, offering staff in-office lunches might help them make healthier lunch choices.

Encouraging staff to go for lunchtime walks or offering discounts on gym memberships will influence them to maintain regular exercise.

All of these things will contribute to better health and can make staff feel more energetic and happy while at work, as well as in their personal life.

Offer learning sessions

Some staff enjoys extra learning so that they can attain new skills to apply for job promotions or simply feel more capable of their everyday role. Therefore, it is a good idea to offer extra learning in the workplace so that your staff can attain more skills and knowledge.

You can do this by offering after-work learning or asking certain members of staff to take on a new responsibility that will help them learn on the job. The more equipped staff are with skills, the happier and more confident they will feel in the workplace.

Or, you could pay for them to take external courses that will benefit their skills and qualifications for their current job, or a role up that they want to apply for internally.

Identify weaknesses

Identifying your business’s weaknesses will help you improve your business, which will likely make the workplace much happier. For instance, you might not offer enough social support for your employees. You could identify this by asking your staff for feedback. Therefore, you can use the feedback to improve your business and offer more social support.

The more feedback you attain from your employees, the better you can make your business, which will make for a happier workplace.

Likewise, identifying the weaknesses of individual employees can help them improve. You could talk to them about their weaknesses and offer to help them improve. Make sure to be gentle with how you tell them and let them know the benefits of working on the weakness. You can let them know that you have your own weaknesses and tell them how you overcome them, which has helped you improve at work and therefore, helped you achieve greater success.

3 Big Misconceptions About Corporate Culture

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StrategyDriven Corporate Cultures Article |Corporate Culture|3 Big Misconceptions About Corporate CultureCorporate culture is a term that gets thrown around a lot and it’s often misunderstood by business leaders. Your corporate culture refers to the often unspoken set of rules and values that govern your business. The way that things are done in the company day to day and the way that all of your employees interact with one another and you all has to do with your company culture.

In most cases, businesses without a positive corporate culture will struggle to survive. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that people get wrong about corporate culture and this leads to problems in the business. These are some of the big misconceptions about corporate culture that you need to stop listening to.

Corporate Culture Can’t Be Built

People talk about their corporate culture like it’s a vague thing that can’t be pinned down. It’s an ethos or a feeling, maybe it’s a vibe. It’s assumed that the culture of your business develops naturally on its own without direct input from you, but that isn’t the case. Business experts like Marc Spizzirri have a lot of experience helping companies build a corporate culture because it is something that you have direct control over. The policies and systems that you put in place to govern the day to day running of your business create the company culture. So, don’t make the mistake of thinking that culture can’t be built and it will sort itself out.

Good Corporate Culture Just Means A Fun Workplace

This misconception is largely down to big tech companies creating new-age offices with ping pong tables and bean bag chairs everywhere. People have this idea that a positive company culture just means a relaxed work environment where people are allowed to have fun instead of being stuck in a cubicle, but it’s so much more than that. It’s also about the direction of the business and the priorities that you have as a company. For example, sustainability is often a central part of the company culture. In some businesses, the focus is on providing opportunities for development. Whatever your company culture is, it has to be about more than fun workspaces and relaxed schedules.

Culture Is Defined By Employees

People often think of culture in terms of how employees interact with one another and work together. Things like conflict resolution, work-life balance, and perks all factor in too. But even though that is an important part of corporate culture, it is not defined by the employees and it is not built from the ground up. Your corporate culture starts with you outlining the values that are most important to your business. You then need to build a company and put processes in place to ensure that you uphold those values. The way that your employees interact with one another is part of that, but it happens as a result of the culture you have built, not the other way around.

If you keep believing these myths about corporate culture, you will struggle to get yours right and it will have a big impact on your business.

How to Create a Positive Work Atmosphere

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Positive Work Atmosphere|How to Create a Positive Work AtmosphereThere are plenty of ways to creative a positive working environment for yourself and your employees. No matter how large your workforce or the space you have, you can make some simple adjustments to boost the harmony and productivity in your office. If you are just starting out with a new team or are looking to refresh your workplace, here are just a couple of ideas to help you get started in creating a great working environment.

Keep it clean

Making sure your office or workspace is clean is essential for the health and safety of yourself, your employees, and anyone that enters. Using professional cleaning services is a great way to ensure that your space is cleaned to a high level. This can help reduce illness and injury, and therefore staff sick days. It is also important to keep your workspaces clean as this helps give a good first impression to anyone entering the area. Having a clean office can also boost productivity and help prevent things from becoming lost or damaged.

Bring the outside in

When you work in an office, you may miss being around nature. This is where introducing plants into your work environment comes in. This simple action has a multitude of benefits; from boosting productivity and creativity to cleaning the air, plants are a great addition to help improve your work environment. Not all plants will thrive indoors, so make sure you choose the correct plant for the location. Common office plants include snake plants, succulents, aloe, or peace lilies, as they are relatively easy to look after and do not need to be kept outside.

Color psychology

The colors that feature in your office can also have an impact. Color psychology is the study of the way in which different colors and hues affect and impact human behavior. Whether you choose to completely redecorate or invest in some colored accessories or furniture, thinking about what colors you use can have an effect on yourself and your team. For example, red can be a high-energy color to paint your office, and green can help to maintain a sense of balance and increase productivity.

Noise

Another way to create a positive working atmosphere is to manage the noise. It can be very distracting if there is constant loud noise, and this can result in a lot of wasted time. If you cannot give employees their own individual work areas, items such as noise-reducing headphones can be incredibly useful. Quieter areas are also beneficial for taking breaks, so it is a good idea to have a separate area for breaks and rest, allowing employees to be distanced from their workspaces, which also prevents those around them from being distracted by colleagues on their breaks. You could even invest in nap rooms, as there are many benefits to taking a power nap at work. Interestingly, plants can also help reduce noise levels, as they can absorb sound or deflect it.

5 ways to create a productive and happy working environment

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Working environment|5 ways to create a productive and happy working environmentEvery business owner wants their operations to run smoothly. A place where staff get on well, communicate, and are as productive as they possibly can be. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way as personalities can clash, employees can become complacent, and animosities can form.

The good news is that there are many things you can do that can help send your business in that direction. Here are 5 ways to create a productive and happy working environment.

Don’t be too strict

Having policies and procedures is all well and good, but if you micro manage or don’t cut staff a bit of slack once in a while, they will eventually get sick of it. As long as the necessary work is being done, leave them to it.
If you need to intervene from time to time, that’s fine but if your team is self-driven, hardworking, and efficient, let them do their thing. If you don’t, it could backfire tremendously.

Create a welcoming space

An office that looks nice is far more enjoyable to work in, so if yours requires some TLC, you could reap the rewards by giving it a bit of an overhaul. Freshening up the décor, changing furniture, and adding accessories such as high quality custom planters or wall art will make your space feel far more welcoming. This is beneficial not only in terms of client perception but for your employees too.

Socialize once in a while

If your team doesn’t socialize, it’s worth trying to do so once in a while. Whether it be a game of ten-pin bowling, a meal, or a few drinks at the local bar, spending time together outwith the office environment will help you to get to know each other on a different level.

It usually results in better communication when you return to the office, which should, in turn, increase productivity and improve the working environment for everyone.

Reward hard work

If your staff have been working exceptionally hard or have met all their targets, reward them for it. It could be a monetary reward such as an annual bonus, for example. If you prefer to give something a little different, shopping vouchers or a nice bottle of champagne will always be well received.

Rewards make employees feel like their hard work is paying off, and they will be more inclined to continue working hard to make your business a success.

Ask for ideas and feedback

If an employee thinks you are listening to them, they will be more inclined to go that extra mile, so where possible, ask for ideas and feedback. There can be a lot going on in the background you don’t know about, so letting them know your door is always open will benefit everyone.

You are likely to be party to far more information than you would usually be, and they will feel like they can freely offer suggestions or opinions.

Most successful businesses usually have a team of happy and motivated employees lurking in the background, so if that’s something you can replicate, you will reap the rewards in the long run.

Creating an Efficient and Productive Workplace

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Productive Workplace|Creating an Efficient and Productive WorkplaceWhether you are a new start-up creating a new workplace or you are an established business going for a workspace overhaul, you will want to ensure that you get your space right. The correct layout, lighting and furniture can have more of an impact on staff than you might think. Most importantly how your space is laid out and how it functions can and will affect your productivity. If workspaces are cluttered and clumsy then your workflow will not be as smooth. So, before you go out buying items for your space you need to think about what you need to get from your workspace and you need to think about what it must include.

The Purpose of Your Workspace

How will your space be used and what will you use it for? Are you setting up a sales office or are you setting up a sales and production workplace. Will you have customers visiting or will it just be yourself and possibly staff using the location. If you know how you will be using your space then you can create a plan. If, for example, you are setting up a workspace for just yourself and staff then you know that you need to focus on good quality ergonomic chairs and furniture, a space to unwind (featuring a couple of sofas and comfy chairs) and a place to prepare food and drink. If on the other hand you are welcoming customers and clients you will need to focus more on the design element. You will have to create a workspace that is in line with your brand and in line with your customer expectations. From colors to branding – it all matters.

Create a Mood board and Design board

To help collate all of your ideas and thoughts, you need to put together ideas and design boards. These boards will help you see and visualize the space a bit better. On your boards you should incorporate all of the ideas and colors that you would like to have. When you put together boards you get to see firsthand what is working and what is not. A productive and efficient workspace needs to be one that is highly functional. On your design board you can ensure that you are only using items that are functional yet stylish. Items that serve no use or function may look good, but you will find they end up being a waste of space and money later down the line.

Lighting and Ambience

The feel and ambience you create within your workplace says a lot about your brand and about your business. Creating a bright and pleasant working atmosphere that also ensures you stick to workplace lighting regulations is possible and achievable. Whether you go for warm colored and modern-feel lighting or you go for daylight lighting you will want to be consistent and you will want to be as energy efficient as possible. When looking for and buying lighting fixtures consider how they will fit in with your design or scheme and also ensure that they are easy to clean and maintain.

Desks and Office Furniture

Will you be going for sleek individual desks or are you looking to create closed cubicles and workstations. If you are reliant on teams and individuals working together then you need spaces that they can come and sit together. Office furniture needs to be of high quality as it will see more use and wear than your standard home furniture. It will also need to be easy to clean, maintain and repair. Having every piece of furniture built in looks clean and tidy but it can be disastrous to locate and fix problems when they arise, so keep things simple yet effective.

The Flow and Feel of a Workspace

Ultimately, how a workspace flows and feels will affect everyone and anyone that uses it, so it is important to invest time and effort into getting it right. A productive environment can be a profitable environment. You want to create a workspace that you, visitors and employees enjoy being in. Size and shape matter and even the smallest of workplaces can be efficient yet well designed. If your space is an odd shape then keep furniture simple and small, large pieces look cluttered and out of place. Do not forget that if you require any inspiration for color schemes then you can use the services of a designer. Getting the flow and feel of a workspace right is highly achievable with time, effort and a workable budget.