What is the work environment?
At Openmet, we always emphasize that for organizations to progress, it is essential to work on fostering a positive work environment. A healthy work environment translates into higher productivity and employees who are more committed and engaged with the business. Investing in a positive and healthy work environment will not only impact the motivation of the staff but also the satisfaction of the customer.
For this reason, it is of utmost importance that the work environment is suitable, pleasant, and stimulating to achieve a motivated and productive team.
How to improve the work environment in our company?
Here’s how…
We already know that a good work environment favors, among other things, the achievement of overall objectives, while a poor work environment destroys work relationships, causes conflict situations, and lowers business productivity.
That is why it is essential for all companies to define a strategy for improving the work environment and monitor it to obtain optimal and adequate results that help improve the motivation levels of employees, make better decisions, and improve business productivity.
In this article, we will see how motivation is affected by different aspects, such as the way of working and relating, employee-company interaction, task management, or internal communication, among many others. Below, we want to share a series of strategies to follow:
1. PROMOTE RESPECT
It is fundamental that the organization, as well as all its members, promote and value a work environment based on respect, encourage good treatment at all levels of the organization, build relationships of empathy, tolerance, equality, and value diversity as a fundamental part of its values.
Promoting respect and tolerance above all is of great importance for fostering team harmony.
2. TAKE FEEDBACK FROM EMPLOYEES
It is very important that each employee feels like a person and not just a number within an organization. People like to feel integrated and that their opinion is taken into account. All of this helps to feel part of a project.
Additionally, feedback from employees should be carefully and consistently worked on. Time and space must be invested to listen to your team.
“7 useful tips for dealing with negative feedback“
It’s not just “posturing,” but with a good feedback plan, various objectives will be achieved: ideas for improvement in different areas of the organization, recognition of problems more easily, identification of employees who do not contribute value to your company and also high-performing employees who add value to the business or high-potential employees who have great potential both individually and collectively and great ability to take on leadership roles within an organization successfully.
3. LEADERSHIP CAPABILITY
Flexibility in dealing with different situations that arise in the workplace and addressing them on a personalized basis creates a positive work environment that fosters business success.
Knowing how to handle day-to-day crises appropriately is vital. Maintaining calm, order, conveying the right message to the team, and showing confidence in problem management are some aspects that help your employees have absolute confidence in you as a leader.
Another key aspect is to get involvement from employees. Generating it is essential through leadership techniques and suitable working conditions to avoid, for example, absenteeism or low performance.
Read more about Leadership.
4. RECOGNITION TOWARDS EMPLOYEES
When a job well done is not recognized, the work environment can deteriorate progressively. Therefore, it is important for the company to have a recognition system that rewards and acknowledges achievements and goal progress.
People like to feel valued and feel that their opinions and tasks count. For example, incentivizing employees to participate in decision-making in a business will make them feel part of the team and is a way to convey that they are important to us even in deciding where the organization wants to go.
Earning the trust of employees, the goal
Earning the team’s trust is a fundamental purpose to encourage a good work environment
Thanking the team for their work and acknowledging their merits is a way to send a clear message to all employees, who will feel valued and comfortable working with the company’s leaders and will not hesitate to come to them for new proposals or concerns.
5. SUITABLE WORKPLACE
Do you see the differences?
The workplace is where employees spend most of their time on a daily basis. That’s why certain essential aspects must be considered for them to feel comfortable.
A spacious workplace, with good distribution, good lighting, with a defined and clean order, will allow the team to work properly and improve their well-being and performance within the company.
The decoration of the workplace can be helpful in creating a pleasant atmosphere. Boards where team members can share ideas and comments, inspiring pictures, and a sense of brand through different attributes are some possible ideas.
If the work tools are not updated and do not function correctly, it can be frustrating, in addition to hindering employees from being able to do their work efficiently.
6. FLEXIBLE HOURS
Various social, economic, and health crises have exposed a need demanded by the majority of workers: flexibility. There are already many studies that corroborate that the traditional office hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. tend to be less and less efficient in terms of productivity in companies.
Not all people work productively at the same hours, and flexible hours also help with family and personal reconciliation.
Employees will appreciate the gesture and feel valued on a personalized basis.
Another option is to offer telecommuting if the business allows it. Being able to work from home once a week, for example. The idea is to work towards goals and objectives rather than covering clock hours.
This degree of autonomy granted to individuals helps achieve a good atmosphere.
7. PROCESSES, TASKS, AND ORGANIZATION
An aspect valued by workers is having a clear understanding of the protocols and procedures of their tasks. Both on an individual and organizational level, clarity about what each person should do is crucial for achieving individual objectives, but also for achieving the organization’s purposes, positively impacting the business and also the sense of belonging and involvement of the workers.
8. AND FINALLY, PROMOTING TEAM BUILDING
Engaging in activities outside the business space reinforces the idea of teamwork and camaraderie. It’s an ideal way to combat stress in a more relaxed environment.
Integration is essential for improving the work environment and commitment to the organization. So why not spend a workday on paintball, escape rooms, or a barbecue in the countryside?
The difference between being able to address these points or not is what will allow us to have a good work environment. Remember that satisfied and motivated employees are productive employees.
Working on the work environment quickly does not mean we will get short-term results, but quite the opposite. It takes time but will bring great benefits in all aspects.
And you, do you have any other methods for working on the atmosphere in a company? Do you identify any of these good or bad practices in your workplace? Have you managed to improve any of them? Tell us how 🙂
More information about our work environment studies
