Good Work Culture // 7 Tips For A Happy & Productive Office Environment

Creating a Good Work Culture // 7 Tips For A Happy And Productive Office Environment

If one believes that productivity is a direct indicator of profitability and the overall success of a company, then it stands to reason that maintaining a happy and productive work environment is important. 

Whether you manage a small business or a large department within a corporate structure, creating a culture in which people are motivated and empowered to create the best work possible is something worth your time and energy.

People often give their best to a project when they feel that they are an important and valued part of the team. There are several ways to convey this message, but the important thing to remember is that it must be genuine.

Here are some ideas on how you can create a good work culture by motivating your team and keeping them happy.

Reward Employees For Their Hard Work

Creating a well-rounded recognition program will take time and energy, but the payoff can mean the difference between stressed and burnt-out employees or a company culture built around engaged employees who feel appreciated beyond their paycheck.

From spot bonuses to anniversary gifts and beyond, these reward opportunities fuel a healthy team dynamic. 

Nurture Workplace Appreciation

Simple, everyday gestures of appreciation in the workplace have proven to work magic in bringing teams closer, lift employee morale, and improve overall productivity.

For instance, this Walden University study shows that doubling the number of employees who receive regular and adequate recognition has a snowball effect, resulting in 24% rise in (output) quality, 27% reduction in absenteeism, and 10% reduction in shrinkage.

Also Read: Hybrid Workplace and company culture

Many companies have started to adopt employee recognition programs as a way to make it easier for distributed teams to include appreciation as part of their daily work-life. These are some of the top-rated tools to consider:

Have frequent Engaging Team Building Events

Fun leads to happiness. This might not be a golden rule, but it’s pretty close.

Having team building events where employees play together, laugh together, and solve problems together goes a long way to cultivate happiness and fulfillment. In fact, Outback Team Building surveyed workers and learned that most employees think team building events are meaningful, inspire people to stay at their jobs, and even foster creativity.

They make it pain-free to incorporate team building games and events into your office happiness journey.

Say hi to your team regularly

A little hello goes a long way in the workplace. Your team members want to feel and be happy, so give them a little nudge in the morning with a big old smile that says, “I’m happy you are here and I want you to love your job.”

Pop around the office periodically and see how everyone is doing. Ask your team how their weekend was, and check in to see if anyone needs assistance with ongoing projects.

We can’t stress enough how creating an environment that makes everyone feel comfortable equates to happy employees. 

Creating a positive workplace atmosphere is crucial in terms of both workplace happiness and your team members’ productivity and energy levels, and that all starts with you setting a cheerful tone.

Something as simple as a smile, a token of your appreciation, or a “Good morning!” can be enough to turn Andrea’s or John’s bad day right around. Being upbeat and genuine in your approach boosts your team’s self-esteem, causing them to be more motivated and reminds them that working with you is pretty great.

As you make your peppy office debut a routine, you will find your team members begin mimicking your welcoming gesture to one another, putting everyone in a better mood and snowballing into a long-term vibe increase.

Encourage workplace wellness

As “living a well life” has become integrated into people’s daily lives, working professionals are not just hoping, but expecting, their employers to provide wellness practices in the workplace. 

Whether through food, physical exercise or mindfulness tactics, incentivizing wellness is a brilliant idea.

Many new programs have been developed specifically to improve the work environment so it’s easier for employees to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. A couple examples include:

You can create a culture of wellness by implementing these strategies:

• Prepare and distribute a list of healthy dining options in a 2-mile radius of your office so your team isn’t wasting time Googling “healthy lunch near me”
• Arrange for bike racks and provide “bike to work” promotional materials
• Negotiate corporate discounts for health club memberships
• Hire a yoga instructor or mindfulness specialist to come into the office once a week or month to reduce team members’ stress

Showing your team you want them to live happy, healthy lifestyles is another way of showing them how important they are to your company.

Avoid micromanaging

Employees who feel trusted and supported, without being hovered over, are statistically more relaxed and confident in the job they do.

I think it’s safe to say that not one working person likes to be micromanaged. If employees feel like they are constantly on their boss’s radar, they are not going to perform the way they normally would, and they will begin to resent their job.

It doesn’t help anyone if half the day is spent recording and reporting what tasks were checked off and which ones weren’t, so, give your team the trust and creative freedom that they deserve by setting clear expectations and fair boundaries.

You are the one who hired your irreplaceable team members. Remember why you hired them and trust that they will make the right decisions without your hovering. Doing so will keep their confidence high, further contributing to the success of your business.

Let a team member lead the next marketing meeting, and give team members the go-ahead to make executive decisions when you aren’t around.