Top Ten Tips - for a happier workplace
Happy employees are productive employees. Thinking creatively about ways to ensure your workplace is a happy place can lead to less absenteeism or talented recruits moving elsewhere in search of a more fulfilling role. Why not start by asking your family and friends what makes them happy at work? In addition to that, here’s out top tips for creating a happier workplace.
1. Celebrate your achievements
Success is the biggest motivator because it makes you feel happy and more confident. Whether it’s a small quick-win or something much bigger, always take the time to champion your efforts and thank colleagues around you for helping make it happen. There may still be lots of hard work ahead or things to improve on for next time – but remembering the things you’ve excelled at will inspire you in future.
2. Say thank you
When we’re all busy at work, stressed and anxious about deadlines, budgets and tricky clients etc we can often dwell on the negative things about our workplace and co-workers. The easiest way to fuel the positivity in your workplace is to say ‘thank you.’ Compliments makes people smile, help boost their confidence and make them feel valued. So if a colleague has been putting in some extra hours, has achieved a milestone or simply worked hard to improve – say thank you.
3. Fitness fun
If you feel stressed and overworked the best way to get your endorphins going is to get away from your desk and blow away those cobwebs with some fresh air and exercise. If you’re health conscious or sporty, why not set up a walking or running club or a regular exercise class at lunchtime? You could even train for a local event or raise money for an inspiring charity to help inspire you. A shared goal is bound to make any team happy.
4. Think creatively
Work doesn’t have to be dull. Thinking creatively can be really inspiring – for both yourself and others. Even if you don’t work in a typically creative industry, there are still opportunities to use your imagination to create new and more efficient ways of doing things. This will make your team feel happier and fulfilled.
5. Leave gossiping to teenage girls!
You wouldn’t want everyone else in your office talking about you behind your back, so avoid fuelling unnecessary rumours and gossip about others. Little titbits of information about the latest office romance, promotions or client wins seem like an attractive and harmless way to break up your day. But intrigue can soon create a buzz for all the wrong reasons. In turn, you also really want people to be talking about your own work-related talents and qualities favourably, rather than gossiping. Rise above the hearsay and steer the conversation to more favourable topics instead.
6. Nurture talent and ambitions
Providing training opportunities and mentoring to employees is really important to keep people feeling happy and fulfilled at work. The best way to harness your employee’s ambition is to coach them to help them achieve their goals. This could be linked to a particular project, a way of developing personal skills or enhancing performance across the business. You need to understand how you currently facilitate learning and professional development in your workplace to recognise what your future goals could be. For example, do you want to change a cut-throat, competitive atmosphere in your workplace to one based on encouragement and team work instead? Or do you want to help retain talented new recruits, rather than see them leave for opportunities elsewhere?
7. Grab lunch together
Taking a break from work can make us feel happier and more productive for the rest of our shift. So, if you’re not taking a lunch break – down your tools and start now. We all need to eat, so why not do it together? You might make new friends within your team, discover a delicious new sandwich shop or build relationships with the partners and clients you work with in a more informal setting. You could even set up a ‘bring and share’ lunch club or enjoy pay day pub dinners.
8. Surround yourself with positive people
Surrounding yourself with positive, happy people is really important to help you stay focused and motivated. Being around negative people will dampen your morale and lead you towards focusing on negative things rather than opportunities and new challenges. Team up with people who you know have a positive attitude and channel your energy into something fun, creative and productive.
9. Get your work/life balance right
We spend the majority of our lives at work but balancing work life with busy families, hobbies and holidays can be tricky. Many of us can feel torn between the pressures of our work and home lives, particularly as technology now means workers are easily accessible around the clock. We all need to earn a living but we also want time with our families and space to do the things we love. Employers are more likely to have a happy workforce if you allow, within reason, some time for colleagues to deal with family issues. Allowing staff to work from home or to use their lieu time in emergencies, for example, will help everyone feel more relaxed and happier at work, knowing if something does crop up, they have your support.
10. Communicate well
Conflict in the workplace often happens when there’s a breakdown in communication. You need to have clear and effective ways of communicating with the people you manage to ensure they feel happy, valued and listened to. You also need to provide ways for employees to communicate directly with your MD, Chief Executive or whoever is in charge. For example, you could have a good old fashioned ‘suggestion box’ or an email account managed by senior staff which allows colleagues to raise any issues, ask questions or suggest improvements. But communicating is only half the battle – you also need to ensure you act on any issues or suggestions raised and make sure people feel you value their input.
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