Businesses need to create and nurture a healthy work environment in order to (a) be able to attract the best talent to come work for them, and (b) retain their employees, lower absenteeism, boost employee morale and create a` healthy and stress-free environment to work in.
#1. Promote Communication
Promoting two-way communication between peers and across hierarchical lines, establishing a strong network of communication, as well as having an open-door policy automatically makes working much more easier and effective for everyone, from the top of the organization to the bottom. It also promotes idea-generation ` something that can be very useful.
#2. Offer Rewards and Bonuses
` especially performance-related rewards. Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool that should not be underestimated. It shows that you care about your employees, boosts morale, and encourages them to do better.
#3. Provide a Positive Physical Working Environment
Things such as ambient temperature, the quality of lighting, personal space, noise levels, the quality of the air, the furniture and fittings, and so on can influence the overall work environment in a big way. Bright-and-spacious-working-environment, the aim, is to create pleasant work areas for each employee, and give them their own space, as well as the freedom to set up their own work-spaces.
#4. Create Teams
Statistics show that people are at their most efficient when they work in teams ` a phenomena called synergy, which states that the combined output of a team is more than the output of each individual added together.
#5. Trust your team members
This is a harder rule to practice for some more than others. So try to default to the assumption that your team is made up of adult, responsibility-taking, competent workers that don`t need to be treated like children.
#6. Provide Development
Provide encouragement and support for your colleagues to work on their professional development goals. Be creative with various development approaches, as well as creating time to attend online or classroom training. Give support for the learning process and practice, and help people make the connection from what they are learning to actual challenges or problem-solving they face day-to-day. Find ways to make development collaborative, and share with each other what you are learning.
#7. Use People's Talents
Tapping into your colleagues' strengths and the skills they most enjoy using will improve motivation, self-esteem, interest in learning, satisfaction, and results. It also maximizes the collective potential of a team.
#8. Provide Tools
Streamline processes and procedures wherever possible to improve efficiency of time and effort. Ensure people have the tools and information that will support their productivity. Link them to the resources they need to be effective in their position, including where to get information and advice on how to be successful.
`````````````` #9. Be spontaneous and have a little fun
Everyone wants to have fun at work`even though everyone defines `fun` a little differently. Fun happens when people feel well-connected with a team where there`s mutual respect, open communication, acceptance of who people are and everyone`s collaborating and working toward the same goal.
#10. Share the Big Picture
Help people see how their individual role supports the work of your department, your division, and ultimately the goals of the organisation. Let them know how their contribution makes a difference.