Significance of Positive & Amiable Work Environment
The idea of building a working environment by incorporating certain social dynamics has gained and been gaining ground ever since workplaces have become a second family outside home, considering the fact that an individual spends a good part of the day at his workplace. While there should be clear boundaries drawn between a work and a social setting, borrowing from friendly and interpersonal influences can surely do good to the ambience in a workstation.
With a more amiable working environment come greater job satisfaction, enhanced productivity at work and an increased engagement in the work as well. The need for investigating and then working towards such an environment is even more in today’s times, with reports of poor job engagement doing the rounds within the work territory.
An interesting piece of trivia
Research shows that having one good co-employee who is also a friend can lead to an almost 50% rise in job related satisfaction and makes one seven times as likely to stay invested in the job for a longer period of time.
The best part is that it is simple yet tremendously effective adopting social and friendly values and then structuring a work environment around these ideals. The basics of creating an affable atmosphere at work would be to foster genuine relationships with the employees, take them in your stride, have fun with them, prioritize their needs and put them right at the forefront of the company as much as and whenever possible. In a nutshell, the leader of the company will have to lead from the front and set an example by nurturing camaraderie and genuineness within the organization.
It has been observed that employees work better and consider the company’s objectives to be their own if the environment is a congenial one.
All these advantages aside, there exist a few downsides of a friendly environment as well. If the employees aren’t matured enough to handle this sort of an ambience, it can result in the formation of negative cliques within the office, wastage of time that often leads to decreased productivity and the problem of split loyalties. But with timely and appropriate steps taken by the management, these pitfalls can be managed and eventually, the positives would outdo the snags.
Whether you hire freelancers for the job or get the job done within the office limits, ultimately you would be working with people; people with varying expectations, emotional maturity and different thresholds of pressure. Listed below are 6 tips that could come in real handy while developing great yet matured relationships at work:
Having a positive attitude is the key here
When you are the owner of the organization, it is obvious for your staff and fellow employees to look up to you. Thus, you will have to act carefully before you set the tone for others to follow and the wheels of the company moving. Moreover, a positive attitude on the part of the management spills over to how your customers think of you. They are probably the first to understand whether all the cogs are well synchronized or if things are haywire.
Remember that everybody deserves respect
Contradictions and differing opinions kept aside, it always augurs well for management and for the business in its entirety to keep in mind that every individual must be given their due respect. This can only happen if you start acknowledging everyone working for you and appreciating the efforts they are putting in. Respect the fact that almost all of them will see the world differently and have different expectations from the job they are up to. It is on the part of the management to align their objectives according to the common objectives of the company yet considering their individualistic expectations as well. With time, such an orientation is bound to take you and your business right to the top.
Listen to your employees
Active listening lays the groundwork for effective communication. Make your employees feel relaxed so that they are confident enough before they let out their problems. Hear them out and try not to cut them off midway with your opinions and beliefs. A conscious switch from ‘No, that is never going to work out’ to ‘Yes! That might be one possibility’ will encourage them to be honest and open in their conversations with you.
Try to get that personal connect
Forge genuine bonds with people inside the workplace. Take real interest in their objectives, know about their expectations and empathize with them in circumstances. Show them that you are concerned about their well-being and that would automatically motivate them to give their very best at work. It is no rocket science that a happy workplace is a productive workplace.
Interact with them outside the office as well
Don’t restrict the rapport with your employees only till the office domain. Take them out for a small picnic may be, on an off day. Take them for an outdoor lunch on a day when the work pressure isn’t as much. Know about them, their little stories, and what forms their lives. There is no need to go overboard with emotions. But a little interpersonal bonding time can really do wonders to their morale and future productivity at work.
Acknowledge the fact that they are only human and appreciate their efforts
All it takes to reward your employees is just a little bit of heart. Rewarding your employees and letting them know that they matter can be done in a variety of ways including praise, recognition, achievement medals, office lunch and other monetary ways of appreciation including cash prizes, bonus and the likes. Don’t hold back with positive feedback or comments and show them your gratitude if they happen to exceed their duty hours for completion of a particular assignment.
