Promoting Positivity at Work
After a few uncertain, pandemic-fueled years, it’s more important than ever to create an environment workers feel good in. While classic HR strategies like establishing values, creating team-bonding opportunities, and refining the onboarding process are all important, workplace positivity takes much more than the fundamentals.
The following are actionable steps your company can take to boost morale, and generally improve your company culture for the better.
Develop a clear business strategy
A collaborative environment happens when the entire team feels they’re working toward the same goals. Each professional may have different parts to play, but the overall objective should be clear to everyone in the business.
According to an annual Deloitte survey, 76% of those surveyed believed that a "clearly defined business strategy" helps create a positive culture.
While we all have our own career goals and strengths, humans enjoy feeling like we’re part of something larger. It motivates us to improve and succeed, especially when other team members rely on us to do our part.
Whether annually or quarterly, your organization should share its overarching goals and find ways to include objectives for each department and role.
Hire the right people
Finding the right candidates can take months between reviewing resumes, conducting background checks, and conducting several rounds of interviews.
Many companies don’t have the extra time it takes to find qualified, quality hires. Unfortunately, hiring the wrong people can disrupt the company culture significantly. After all, high turnover rates and clashing personalities are anything but good for your office environment.
While it may be tempting to get a position filled quickly, it’s better for the long term to hire executives or professionals that fit well within your company culture. Aside from qualifications and salary match, will their personality mesh well with fellow team members? Do they possess values that align with your organization?
We know the hiring process is much easier said than done, which is why we guide clients through the entire hiring process. We’ll assist you with departmental reviews, job descriptions, success profiles, compensation benchmarking surveys, leadership and management assessments, on-boarding and follow up.
Keep communication channels open
You may have hired the right people, but you need to ensure they’re satisfied if you want to keep them.
According to the Harvard Business Review, this effort falls short more often than you think. One in five professionals believe their personal aspirations “are quite different from what the organization has planned” for them, according to the report.
The best way to prevent this mismatch of expectation is to establish a culture of open communication.
When individuals are comfortable communicating with their leaders, they feel like they matter. And when executives and leaders clearly communicate the expectations in a role or position, their team members feel better, because they understand what is expected of them.
Ultimately, these conversations can lead to improved processes, conflict resolutions and a more cohesive culture.
Keep it positive
We all know that business these days can be stressful—that goes for your management and your employees alike. We’re all being asked to do more with less, it seems, and that takes a toll on morale over time.
Maintaining positivity in the workplace over time involves managing these feeling of stress when things get heavy. By staying calm, communicating clearly and focusing on your overarching business strategy, you’ll have a better chance of finding a solution
Other tips for keeping your positivity at work include:
- Focusing on what you can control, not what you can’t
- Avoiding gossip, grousing or other negative talk by leaders
- Breaking problems down into smaller pieces, so they’re more manageable
- Focusing on successful outcomes, not the challenges that came before
- Taking breaks and making time for yourself
Maintaining positivity in the workplace isn’t always easy, but it can be achieved with a little focus and a lot of understanding. Are you looking to implement a plan for improving workplace positivity? Our seasoned team members would love to offer you a consultation and discuss your particular business needs.