3 Ways To Creative A Positive Work Environment That Will Supercharge Your Team's Productivity
Positivity doesn't just have to be a solo mindset.
While it is impossible to narrow down the secret sauce that goes into creating a winning team, from my own experience, it's far more than hiring employees with strong skills and a great education.Sure, having highly skilled employees is a no-brainer, but one of the biggest transformative moments in my career was when I realized that creating a successful team stems from facilitating a positive work environment built around a foundation of trust, understanding, and transparency.Ask yourself this: when was the last time that you checked in on your employees? More importantly, what was their feedback? Cultivating a positive work environment is a surefire way to both devise an enjoyable space for your staff to come back to every day, and increase your team's productivity levels.Understandably, you're probably thinking, "Sure, that seems obvious, but it's easier said than done." I hear you, and I thought the exact same thing when I first started to implement these changes.As an entrepreneur, trusting others with certain aspects of your company is a daunting task, but one that must be taken in order to achieve equilibrium in the office and balance within your team. Therefore, the first step to supercharging productivity levels is ensuring that the environment you've created is a welcome space for open communication and trust.Positivity doesn't just have to be a solo mindset, though; it's contagious and can easily be infused in the entire workplace culture through simple, everyday actions. Here are three ways to make your workplace a more positive (and, thus, productive) space.
1. Don't micromanage your team.
Trust in yourself and your team that each of you is capable of handling your own jobs respectively. I know firsthand just how difficult it can be to let others take the lead but, I can assure you, the payoff is truly worth it.Nothing will be gained by constantly looking over someone else's shoulder or cutting down their suggestions or efforts. This will simply cause you more headaches than necessary and will be detrimental to your productivity as a whole.Instead, hold weekly check-ins, follow-up privately with someone if needed, and know that by giving your team space, you're also giving your business room to flourish.
2. Recognize hard work and give appreciation where it's due.
Appreciation really does go a long way. Feeling undervalued in the workplace can take a toll on anyone, leading to a drop in performance and, if gone unchecked, a negative outlook on the company itself. This can also result in a high turnover rate, and can often be seen as a red flag to those applying to work at your firm.Take time out of your day to let an employee (or an entire team) know that you've appreciated any hard work or tough deadlines that they've completed recently. Whether over a coffee or through an uplifting email, letting someone know how they are acknowledged and appreciated in your company is an easy way to build trust and positivity. It also gives more incentive to continue their great work.
3. Communicate clearly, but be a strong listener.
In order to grow as a collective, it is important to express what the vision for your company is, while also being willing to hear suggestions from others on what can be improved. Your team's outlook can be just as valuable as your own, so it is important to be open-minded to any input that they may have.The strongest and most well-rounded decisions in any company are often made this way, and by listening to all voices in the room, it will encourage you to bond with your team and find creative and unconventional solutions and ideas that your C-suite executives may have never thought of before.
