Work Culture - Promoting Positivity
A positive, happy workforce is a productive workforce. But many employers are struggling with promoting positivity — especially during such a tumultuous time. With many employees now going back to the office, it behooves employers to consider what could improve their workplace culture.
Creating a Culture of Positivity
A culture of positivity comes from the top down. When the C-suite shows that it values its management and management, in turn, shows that it values its staff, a culture of positivity is formed. Not only should the company use positive messaging throughout, but it should create positive incentives that show employees they are valued. Focus not only on the goals that need to be met, but rewarding the goals that have been met.
Celebrate Wins
Company-wide celebrations underscore a culture of positivity and gratitude. Rather than quietly incentivizing, make sure that the entire company knows when goals have been met. Celebrate wins through events, such as employee appreciation dinners — or just send out thankful messages to the team. Not only does this send the message that they're appreciated, but it also helps build a team-oriented mindset and closer relationships.
Provide What Employees Need
Employees find it difficult to be positive when they struggle. Most employees today are less concerned about their salary and more concerned about their benefits. Flex-time, childcare, health initiatives, and other similar benefits can help employees feel positive about their working environment. If employees work too hard, they will start to feel fatigued. Don't know what employees want? It's time to get feedback.
Build Teams
In general, employees don't leave companies; they leave managers. Make your employees feel like "part of the team" by organizing team-based initiatives, fostering team relationships, and arranging team-building exercises. When employees feel a close connection to their supervisors and their colleagues, they are far less likely to feel overworked, stressed, or fatigued. The better their immediate relationships are in the business, the more positive they will feel.
Reduce Stress
Stress and overwork are two things that additional positivity just can't counter. If you find that your teams are constantly on the grind, it's an issue with processes, not attitude. By fine-tuning and automating processes and eliminating redundancies, you can reduce the overall stress throughout your company — and consequently improve both positivity and productivity.
Watching Out for "Toxic Positivity"
It's important to note that you cannot foster a positive environment in a company that isn't positive. In other words, if you say positive things without committing to positive actions, the positivity becomes toxic. Employees are able to recognize false messaging; a company cannot say that it is grateful for its employees and still work them to the bone. Companies should make sure their actions are meeting their messaging.
A positive work culture is a culture that's going to ensure that employees remain on board. For every employee that you're able to keep, your company is able to save a significant amount of money in training a new employee. But it's not always easy to create a positive work culture; it's a continuous work in progress.