When selecting a job or attempting to maintain good operations, it is critical to examine a company's work environment, which is the collection of situational aspects that comprise the corporate milieu. A positive office environment can boost your morale, whilst a negative one might demotivate you. Learning about this critical workplace element will assist you in identifying a healthy work environment. Consider this post to learn about the key characteristics of the work environment, its importance, and its successful types.
Your work environment has an impact on your mood, motivation, mental health, and performance. Employees who work in a drab workplace environment with unpleasant coworkers are unlikely to have enough confidence or job satisfaction to speak up. That is why creating a positive work atmosphere is crucial to the success of your firm.
In an interaction with ABP Live, Christopher Roberts, Managing Director, Engaged Strategy, and creator of the Total Engagement Model said, "A question that I am often hit with by corporate leaders is – Why should we worry about engaging staff when they are paid to do their work? The answer to this is simple. Why should staff go above and beyond their call of duty to help the organization when they can just do what they are paid for?"
"Just a few days ago, I read about a leading Indian food delivery company’s head calling for applications for a senior position where the job description stated that applicants need to be prepared with no empathy towards the need for a work-life balance. The organization rolling out this advertisement may have wanted to sound cool, but it pretty much sounds like the beacon for a dire need to understand that staff are humans and their burnout can be detrimental to the organization in no small measure," he added.
He further shared 5 critical techniques that the leadership of every organization needs to implement to prevent staff burnout and boost their morale simultaneously:
How loyal are you to your staff?
Ask yourself this question as it creates a massive mindset shift before you try to understand how loyal you are staff towards your brand. When you show your loyalty towards your staff, support them with empathy, and help them find a purpose in their work, their loyalty towards the organization and you as a leader will increase manifold. This will manifest itself via their proactivity in going above and beyond their call of duty to build the brand and find new ways to increase organizational efficiencies and deliver experiences that drive customer loyalty and growth.
Do you make your staff feel valued, cared for, and supported?
Employees are not transactional bots. They are humans with emotions. Hence, it is extremely critical that you as a business leader treat them with empathy. In my analysis of employee surveys that I’ve conducted over the last 15+ years, I’ve found that when the leadership makes staff feel valued, cared for, and supported, they transfer these three critical emotions to customers too. This has a huge positive impact on increasing word of mouth and revenue generation.
Are your staff resilient?
Not everyone has the prowess to manage stress. More importantly, some of your staff may be battling stress on the personal front which may be impacting their work output, while some others may be taking work stress back home which might impact their personal lives negatively. This turns into a vicious circle.
To break this, ensure that your staff is trained regularly in stress management, work prioritization, time management, etc. Provide them with anonymous access to counselors and even encourage them to practice holistic methods such as meditation, yoga, etc. ideally with other team members. In today’s day and age, it is extremely critical to normalize the expression of mental health conditions as well.
Are you building teams or just competitive individuals?
Humans are social animals and there is an inherent need to be a part of a group. Hence, encouraging team activities and organizing regular in-person meetings, especially in establishments where staff generally work remotely is extremely important in building a strong team culture.
Use this opportunity to provide your staff with a clear line of sight among their teams and organizational goals so that they are aware of their role in steering the brand toward success.
Align the brand’s purpose and values with those of the staff
When staff understand the organization’s value system and purpose thoroughly, and can relate to them, then rest assured they will find meaning in the work they do. When staff’s goals do not align with that of the organization, it gives birth to stress, and consequently, to burnout.
Practice these 5 critical techniques and rest assured you will infuse pure passion within your team to enjoy work without the negative emotions coming into play.