4 Qualities of A Positive Work Culture
Any thriving business runs on happy and productive employees. But keeping employees happy extends beyond an attractive pay check, or generous bonus packages. A typical employee spends an average of eight hours a day, fivedays a week in the office; and if that office environment happens to be toxic, stressed out workers will fail to perform to their best ability. When companies create an ideal, people-centric environment for their employees, productivity increases and business will flourish. Here are a few people-oriented qualities that go into fostering a positive work environment:
1. Keeping Employees In The Loop
As companies grow in size, it is essential to continuously address employees’ need. When a company addresses their employees’ concerns & keeps them involved, work becomes more meaningful to everyone.
As companies grow in size, it is essential to continuously address employees’ need. When a company addresses their employees’ concerns & keeps them involved, work becomes more meaningful to everyone.
2. Appreciation & Recognition
When fostering an office culture, it is important to remember that you don’t just build a business, you build a solid team of people who build the business. A good business culture celebrates the individual, which in turn motivates an individual will do their part to support the company.
Take time off to have a celebratory lunch with the team, applaud a job well done at a meeting, or write them an appreciative memo. Here at Canon, staff members can send colleagues a WOW over our intranet system if they are touched or inspired by their actions, encouraging positive interaction between peers. Such simple gestures yield great power despite the little effort it takes to give them.
Rewards are a form of positive reinforcement, necessary to motivate people to achieve certain goals. A genuine ‘thank you’ can go a long way to spur your employees on. That way, your staff will know they matter even when times are tough.
3. Team Unity & Support
While work-life balance is key, a healthy office culture should involve colleagues fostering a sense of team spirit. Close-knit teams will be inclined to support each other and make decisions more efficiently. Although this can be tricky within a large organization as it involves the acceptance of inevitable differences in roles and perspectives, it is crucial to have a deep-rooted culture so that different segments of an organization understand that they’re working towards a common goal.
Companies can do their part to catalyze cohesion through organizing team-bonding activities that allow the team to learn and understand each other outside the workplace. Not only can staff explore new interests, it also makes work life more enriching through interaction with fellow colleagues in a social setting. At Canon, we have a Staff Recreation Committee that regularly organize social and sporting activities such as weekly running sessions, events such as annual golf day and ‘Cross Country’ day, as well as baking and Yoga classes so employees have a chance to mingle and form lasting bonds.
4. Mutual Respect
Finally, good businesses are run by leaders who understand the importance of mutual respect. Just as employees are assessed by their bosses, leaders should be equally open to constructive feedback. The best companies thrive on a culture where employees can engage, or flag up their concerns with their superiors and trust that they were heard.
Canon has made it a point to instill the habit of greeting each other every morning. Each department is designated a day to walk throughout our office, greeting everybody. This is to encourage familiarity and engagement with one another so our employees have a channel to stay connected to the goings-on in the company. Furthermore, Canon has recently initiated the company-wide Big Smile campaign to inculcate the habit of smiling among staff, strengthening the positive mood in our working environment.
Over the past decade, the massive influx of start-ups and their progressive ideals on work culture have changed the rules governing the traditional corporate landscape. Companies like Google and various other tech startups alike, have become well-known for their fantastic work culture that include free meals, pet-friendly offices, rooftop meetings and company trips. Today’s workers take into account an organization’s work culture as they would its salary and benefits.
By building a work culture around the people, an organization demonstrates its ability to recognize and retain its talent. A positive corporate culture has the potential to translate into a high employee and customer or client retention rate.
Follow us on LinkedIn for updates as we share further recommendations and insights tailored for SME owners!