No matter what type of business you run, a harmonious workplace is critical to your success. When your staff can work collaboratively and effectively with one another, it enhances your business performance and leads to increased profitability. Conversely, an unsettled or negative working environment reduces productivity, lowers morale, and typically leads to a high employee turnover rate. If you want to cultivate a workplace that supports your staff and your business, take a look at these top tips for creating harmony in the office.
Creating Harmony in the Office
Recognize Hard Work
Many employers overlook the importance of recognizing an employee’s efforts. Simply saying thank you or taking the time to appreciate an employee’s hard work can have a major impact on how your workplace feels.
When staff feels unappreciated, it can lead to a demotivated workforce and reduced productivity. Worse still, the quality of your employees’ work may begin to decline. By ensuring supervisors recognize and articulate their appreciation, however, you can create a more positive working environment.
Provide Interpersonal Training
It’s essential that individuals in supervisory or managerial positions can communicate with others well. Even a well-intentioned comment can spark a chain of resentment if it’s delivered in the wrong way. Don’t assume that everyone is naturally personable or a great communicator. Instead, ensure that all managerial staff has access to adequate interpersonal training.
Teaching people how to be better managers and supervisors won’t just make the workplace more harmonious, it will make your staff more motivated and forge stronger teams too. As a result, your business will benefit when you give your managers the resources they need to perform at their best.
Prioritize Staff Well-Being
Good employers recognize that staff may have periods of illness and support them through any challenges they’re facing. Your employees’ well-being can be affected by issues at work and outside of work, so it’s important to be mindful of this.
When employees know you’re a caring employer who puts their well-being first, you’ll gain their trust and their loyalty. What’s more – having empathetic supervisors and understanding colleagues can help individuals to address issues more quickly and return to their usual demeanor more easily. Prioritizing staff well-being involves ensuring they feel secure onsite, too. Investing in an Evolis ID printer can ensure only verified employees are allowed in the building, while you’ll also want to ensure that your worksite’s health and safety credentials are watertight, too.
Establish a Conflict Resolution Procedure
Most large companies have a formal grievance and disciplinary procedure in place, but a conflict resolution procedure can be something a little less formal but still highly effective. It’s not unusual for conflicts to arise in the workplace from time to time, so it’s important to have a way of dealing with them.
Having an established conflict resolution procedure means staff will feel able to address their concerns constructively if they need to do so. Whether your procedure consists of internal meetings with a manager or mediation with other colleagues, you can turn a potentially hostile situation into a collaborative process with the right methodologies. By doing so, you can facilitate the swift resolution of any conflicts which do arise and recognize the rights of your employees to be heard.
Make Work Fun
Going to work isn’t everyone’s first response when you ask them what they like to do for fun, but there’s no reason you can’t inject a little levity into the workday! Designating a games room for breaks, providing access to free hot drinks and pastries, or creating harmony and friendly inter-departmental competitions can help the workplace to feel a little lighter.
People spend the majority of their adult lives at work, so it’s important to create a happy working environment. By encouraging your staff to have fun and engage with one another, you can make your office an enjoyable place to be.
Teach Supervisors to Raise Issues Sensitively
Managers and supervisors sometimes have a difficult role to play. If they suspect an employee is breaching company policies or working while they’re under the influence, for example, they’re required to take action. Of course, this isn’t usually well-received by the employee in question.
To prevent these types of incidents from having a negative impact on the workplace as a whole, ensure your supervisors are equipped to deal with issues sensitively, proportionately, and responsibly. Reasonable suspicion training is a good way to ensure supervisors know how to deal with employees who they suspect of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, for example. Similarly, disciplinary training can help supervisors to handle potential issues firmly yet positively.
Be Approachable
As a business owner, executive, or manager, it’s important that staff feel they can come to you with any concerns they may have. Even if it means they’re ‘leap-frogging’ over the usual chain of command, be sure to listen when employees attempt to confide in you.
Staff won’t typically approach a higher-level executive as their first port of call, so if an employee comes to you, it’s likely they have a good reason. By being approachable, you can ensure that you’re aware of any potential issues which could be affecting the workplace. Furthermore, you’ll have the opportunity to take action before things deteriorate further.
Build Strong Teams
When your business consists of strong teams who work well together, you can create a happy work environment and achieve your commercial goals. However, building strong teams isn’t a one-off activity. Instead, you need to be consistent and give employees the resources they need to forget strong professional relationships.
Hosting company events, socializing outside of work, and implementing team-building events are straightforward ways to increase cohesion. Even a virtual meet-up, quiz, or comedy night can have a big impact on morale, so don’t overlook the importance of incorporating sociability into work life.
Cultivate a Happy Workforce
A healthy and happy workforce has a major impact on your business success. Not only will you get the most out of your existing employers by cultivating a happy workforce, but you’ll also be able to attract the best candidates when you advertise new roles.
As your workforce has such a significant impact on your commercial performance, it’s vital to invest in them. By cultivating a happy working environment, you can ensure your employees and your business have the best chance of success creating harmony.