We spend nearly one-third of our lives at work. So, if you and your staff aren’t happy in the workplace, it’s going to create a depressing, uninspiring office environment.
Not only will it be an unpleasant place to work, but productivity is likely to decrease as well.
Often, workplaces can become stale and negative, usually due to unhappy management and staff members. Have you noticed this in your workplace?
If so, it’s time to make some changes! To learn more, keep reading to find seven important ways to improve the culture and attitudes within your workplace.
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Improve Your Office Fitout
Creating a good office environment can go a long way to helping staff be happy and comfortable at work. Take a look at your office’s design—it is full of run-down office furniture from the 80s, or is it innovative and modern?
If your office could use some help, invest in a remodel that will transform the space into a more comfortable working environment. Think about flexible meeting room spaces, ergonomic furniture, lots of natural light, and bringing in some plants.
If you can make some additions to the kitchen as well, such as a luxury coffee machine or fresh fruit, staff are sure to appreciate that as well.
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Limit Unnecessary Meetings
If you’re looking for ways to improve workplace morale, here’s a good one—cut out the unnecessary meetings! So many employees have meeting fatigue, as they’re always being pulled from one meeting into the next, which takes up all of their time.
Excessive meetings actually slow down productivity, as staff don’t have any time left in the day to get their actual work done. We recommend encouraging managers and employees to only schedule meetings when absolutely needed.
Even then, see if you can keep them under 30 minutes or an hour.
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Make Your Office More Efficient
Often, employees get frustrated when offices aren’t run efficiently. For example, if they need to order office supplies or book a meeting room, how complicated is the process?
If staff need to cut through a lot of red tape to get things done in your workplace, it’s time to change this. Develop new policies where you can streamline certain tasks, as this can save your employees plenty of time.
Technology can be a big help with this, so be sure to invest in things like reporting software, CRM databases, and scheduling tools. It can also replace paper and filing systems, as digital ways of working tend to be much faster—and more secure.
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Encourage Teamwork
One person can never do as much as a group, so it’s a no-brainer that your company should be encouraging teamwork! Working in teams eases the load each person has to bear and also helps staff members get creative, share new ideas, and change the way things are done.
How can you encourage teamwork in your workplace? It helps if staff respect and trust one another, so try to create a work environment where each individual is valued and feels confident to speak their mind.
When assigning tasks to a team, ensure each person clearly understands what’s required of them, as this helps avoid confusion.
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Schedule Social Events
It seems obvious, but your workplace environment will become much more fun and positive if staff members enjoy spending time with one another. With so much of our time spent at work, a job is definitely more enjoyable if you’re friendly with your co-workers.
To help staff members bond, it’s a good idea to schedule regular social events, such as an office lunch or after-work drinks. This helps staff get to know each other and connect.
Just try to make the social events relaxed and fun, as no one wants to feel like they’re forced to go to an awkward work lunch!
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Allow Flexible Working Conditions
A huge way to create happier staff is by offering them flexible working conditions. Gone are the days when everyone wanted to work 9-5 in an office.
If you’re willing to let staff work from home or switch their working hours, this can make a big impact. It’s also ideal for working parents, who might need to plan their working hours around childcare.
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Be Supportive and Optimistic
As a manager, one great thing you can do is lead by example. Positivity is contagious, so try to always be positive, supportive, and optimistic in the workplace—staff will notice!
If the management team seems grumpy or unmotivated, this is going to reflect in your employees. Instead, aim to be an inspirational, upbeat manager, always encouraging staff to do their best.
You can also offer rewards-based initiatives or highlight staff who have gone above and beyond. This will motivate other staff to work hard as well, as positive reinforcement will work better than negative reinforcement.
Improve Your Office Environment With These Tips
If your office environment could use some help, the ideas above are sure to help. To get started, why not organize a brainstorming session with management or key staff members, coming up with new office policies to improve the way you work.
While change can take some time to implement, you’ll eventually start noticing a positive, more rewarding workplace—where staff are eager to come to work each day and make a difference!
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