The search for excellence and improving aspects of organizational climate is paramount for businesses to run smoothly today and we will never tire of saying it.
In 2013, we published a study on work environment in Spain with a sample of over 30,000 workers. As a result of this study, we were able to find out the basic demands of workers in relation to organizational climate.
The seven key conclusions on areas for improvement in the organizations of the study were:
1. Reconciliation between work and private life
2. Communication
3. Recognition
4. Career development plans
5. Innovation
6. Training
7. Leadership styles
In this article, we will look at the main areas for improvement in organizations (Reconciliation between work and private life, Communication and Recognition) and the typical practices of companies for working on these areas:
Improving organizational climate. Reconciliation, communication and recognition
1. Reconciliation between work and private life
To Reconcile work and private life, we see practices such as flexible working hours, summer working hours, continuous workdays on Fridays, continuous workdays on the days before public holidays, continuous workdays at Easter, day or afternoon off on birthdays, extended maternity/paternity leave, work meetings with limited start and end times, permission to take time off for school meetings/tutoring, etc.
Social benefits that can also help reconciliation include:
physiotherapy and massage service during working hours, free parking, worker support services for formalities, subsidized meals and nursery vouchers.
2. Organizational communication
Communication is the basic pillar of any organization and one of the main areas for improvement. It is essential for: coordination between departments and within the department itself, knowing the opinions of customers and workers, knowing the aims and development of each person and/or department.
The most common and useful practices in this area include:
Opinion polls, evaluation tools (performance and competencies), activities to propose ideas to promote innovation, interdepartmental breakfasts, sessions to share best practices, ideas and suggestion boards, etc.
One of the most efficient practices in communication for departments is what we will call “The Breakfast”. The idea is to reserve a few minutes each week for the whole team to meet in the back office and have breakfast together after a brief presentation of the week’s goals and a review of the previous week’s actions. This space is used to talk about informal topics (the weekend, children, etc.) but also to chat with colleagues about the projects, problems and solutions arising in day-to-day business. As it is a relaxed moment, it also encourages familiarity and communication with the head of the department. All this over coffee, pastries, sandwiches and fruit.
3. Job recognition
Recognition in the working environment is a practice that can take place through a number of people: a direct supervisor, the general management of the company, our colleagues, customers, suppliers, the media, etc.
The actions that we may be recognized for include:
A job well done, helping a coworker, good customer service, working at the organization for a number of years, attracting new customers or partnerships, improving internal processes, contributing new ideas to improve the company, etc.
Many practices for recognition are put in place in companies, including: monetary compensation, extra days’ holiday, gifts, extra activities (trips, celebrations, breakfast with the Director-General, etc.), internal promotions, both publicly (bulletin boards, thank-you notes, corporate e-mails, events, etc.) and/or privately.
Having developed these three points in this post, we should emphasize the importance of taking all these aspects – centered around optimizing and improving the work environment in organizations – into consideration for the smooth running of the business.
Openmet can help you meet all these goals with guidelines and tasks that are tried and tested in the industry to turn your business into a booming one.
In future posts, we will deal with the other points so stay tuned to our social networks to find out first-hand all the news on the importance of organizational climate.
