How to create a positive work environment

Positive versus Negative Workplaces We have all worked in places where we grew to dread getting up in the morning, and a few of us have had the pleasure of working for a boss who makes us feel like we can do anything. Lets take a look at the differences between a positive and a negative work environment. Signs of a Negative Work Environment

People dont get much performance feedback. Signs of a Positive Work Environment

The boss is unfriendly. The boss is critical. There is high employee turnover. There is low employee morale. People watch the clock.

The boss demonstrates interest in the employees. The boss has an encouraging attitude. Employees like working there. There is evidence of company pride and loyalty.

People know where they stand with their supervisors. Thousands of books have been written on the sub ect of managing and motivating people, and as many training seminars are conducted on this sub ect around the world every day. !nd yet its interesting that even with all of this available information, few companies succeed at creating a positive work environment. Lets see whats involved. Four Key Skills "reating a positive work environment is based on four key skills. They are# $. Telling people what you e%pect of them. &. 'howing interest in your team members. (. "reating an encouraging environment. ). *ecogni+ing and rewarding good performance. Skill #1: State Your Expectations Telling people what you e%pect of them means doing the following#

'etting goals Skill # : S!o" #nterest in Your $eam What behaviors convey that someone is interested in you.

"ommunicating e%pectations clearly ,aving a specific ob description -dentifying specific performance standards 'pecifying deadlines

Taking your suggestions These behaviors convey a lack of interest#

/aking eye contact "alling you by name !sking your opinion 'miling "omplimenting your work

1ollowing your suggestion, but only when heard from someone else 'uch signs discourage productivity because they make people feel discouraged, angry, less confident, and stripped of self2esteem. Skill #%: &reate an Encouraging Environment /ost people would agree that an encouraging work environment is one where#

-gnoring you 0ot knowing your name or not using it 0ot asking your opinion -gnoring your suggestions 0ot commenting on your work

They feel like part of the team. "reating such an environment results in the following benefits to employees. They#

Their ideas are valued. "reativity is encouraged. *isks are encouraged. 1un and laughter are valued. 0ew ideas are rewarded. They feel appreciated. People thank you for your contributions. 1le%ibility is valued.

"ontribute more ideas. 1eel more committed. Look forward to coming to work. !re more productive.

,ave increased self2esteem. "reating such an environment results in the following benefits to managers and business owners# Less turnover Less sabotage 3reater loyalty Easier to find employees due to good reputation

,igher productivity Skill #': (ecogni)e an* (e"ar* +oo* Performance ! reinforcer is anything that happens, after a behavior, that tends to increase the chances that the behavior will be repeated. -ncluded are such things as#

"ompliments 'miles Thumbs2up gesture 'aying 4Thank you4 Public announcement of your achievement Positive letter in your personnel file Promotion Time off 'pecial parking space 1irst choice on schedule Tickets to an event E%tra employee discount Picture on the bulletin board !pplause at a meeting

(ecognition +ui*elines $. &. (. Describe the results you are recognizing. Be specific. -ts important to make certain the employee knows what behavior or accomplishment you are referring to. State your personal appreciation. 'ay, 4- appreciate it.4 !dding your personal appreciation makes the compliment feel more genuine. Encourage the person to continue producing such good work. This increases the chances that the person will repeat the desirable behavior.

$!e #*eal Work Environment

/elvin *ichardson, 5ahoo "ontributor 0etwork 6ct &&, &778

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I've often thought about what it would be like to work at the ideal workplace and quite frankly I'm not sure such a place exists. All too often we work at places that just don't live up to our expectations and you eventually succumb to the politics and/or mediocrity. hat are some of the key components that would make up the ideal workplace! ell

let's take a look at some of the categories" in my opinion at least. Communication I believe a workplace should have effective communication across the board. #here has to be a free flow of information that encompasses every department and everyone within from the mailroom clerk to the $%&. If you work there then you should know what's going on. #his would eliminate" the" 'didn't you get the memo"' syndrome. #here's nothing worse than a situation where everyone within an organi(ation does not receive important information. )on't you think that is unacceptable! In order for an organi(ation to operate like a well oiled chain everyone needs to be on the same page and that entails everyone getting the same information. *eople feel valued when they are included. +ow I know there are situations where information cannot be given out but as much as people need to be included. Trust I've seen situations where individuals worked in the same area in the same department and they don't trust each other. It's no wonder productivity suffers so much, everyone is looking out for themselves because they don't really believe their coworkers are looking out for their best interest. -omehow the feeling is that an associate is somewhere trying to bring them down with a negative comment. #he ideal place needs a environment that fosters trust and loyalty to the company and to each other. hat if everyone consistently encouraged and motivated each other as well

as share their best demonstrated practices with the team. )o away with so many closed door meetings. I once had a

boss that was in a closed door session on the phone every half hour it seemed. +eedless to say to one working for her trusted her. hatever was said she did not bother to share it.

Grow and Develop #he ideal place to work should be a place that gives everyone an opportunity to grow and develop with training and education. #here should be a motivational library on site with nothing but books" $)'s" tapes" ).)'s" maga(ines and other resource material designed to take employees to the next level. -eminars should be a major part of the ideal work place whether they be onsite or off. #he ideal work place should have an abundance of opportunities for promotion with new opportunities always coming about because of rapid expansion and growth. A people development program should be put into place that encompasses a part of all of the aforementioned information. Employee Well-Being /ou need profits for an organi(ation to grow" flourish" and develop" but when you put profits above the needs and concerns of your people then you are shooting yourself in the foot. Imagine telling your people to give excellent customer service when the employees are being less than human. *eople need to be treated with respect and dignity and they need to know that they matter and that someone is actually concerned about their well0being. #here are organi(ations that just grind the life out of people all for the sake of results. An organi(ation like that doesn't even have a sense of who their employees are. #hey don't really take the time to get to know their employees or anything about their personal habits" interests" or who their spouses are" or if they have kids. It's always back to the grind stone we have to get those numbers. #he ideal work place should have a meeting lasting 1 or 23 minutes prior to the start of the day where everyone gets an update and included in the meeting should be some time discussing personal things. Honesty &rgani(ations should be honest and up front. If an employee has an employee that is looking to get promoted but they have no intention of promoting him/her then they should tell that person. %ven prior to that should let that person know what his short comings are" and then there should be a plan of action put into place that allows that employee to bridge that gap. It should be a realistic legitimate program that's well thought out with the input of the employee and not something thrown together so they can say they covered all bases, actually they are trying to cover something else. Teamwork hat did you do this weekend!

ouldn't it be nice if we could eliminate the phrase that's not by job. $ertainly there will be situations when this does not apply but if it's something within the realm of your capabilities and you are not taxed unreasonably in terms of effort and time needed to get the job done" then by all means do it. *eople should view the entire organi(ation as a team and not just your own department or your immediate co0 workers. %veryone should actively look out for the organi(ation by recogni(ing the fact that everyone needs to work together to fulfill the mission of the organi(ation. %veryone needs to understand the big picture and what the organi(ation is trying to achieve. #here should be more of 'we' and less of 'me' and 'I'. President - Open door policy ouldn't it be nice if there was open door policy which enabled you to speak directly to the *resident/$%& and be able to voice your opinion and someone actually listened. esults and ecognition

ouldn't you love to work for a place that recogni(ed you for your results! #here is nothing worse than someone getting promoted because of longevity or nepotism. #he average person wants to be acknowledged for their contributions and achievements. !ttitude Attitude is so important. I would love to work for an organi(ation where everyone is motivated" excited and encouraging one another. All it takes is one person with a bad attitude and it can spread like wild fire. #he minute someone makes a bad comment the issue should be addressed. &f course there will be times when people voice their opinion but it should be done in a caring constructive manner and then come with a plan that will resolve that issue. All the bad apples should be driven out but only after you have done everything possible to resolve that matter. "amily #he ideal work place should establish an environment that really treats employees like family. &f course there will be disagreements and misunderstandings but eventually these things can be worked out if we try to see the other person's perspective and truly have a desire to resolve the issue. It all goes back to caring" listening" respect and gaining an appreciation for the contributions and efforts of others. C#allenging and Purpose$ul Work

I don't think anyone really loves the mundane and the ordinary. *eople want variety and surprises. I believe everyone wants to contribute in a way that challenges them and gets them to tap into that creative genius on the inside. ouldn't it be nice to function within a position that you felt you were born to do. and full of excitement! "un If you must spend eight plus hours a day at work then it should be fun. #he interaction with your associates should be fun. #here should be some element of fun interwoven throughout the day. #heir should be contests" games" social activities" for employees. I remember two years straight I organi(ed the corporate challenge for our organi(ation. #his is an event where companies compete against other companies that are similar in si(e. #he events were all sporting events and everyone had a great time it also got people involved and gave people a chance to get to know other people that did not normally associate with. #hat was fun. Creative %deas It would be great if employees were encouraged to bring forth their creative ideas. *eople feel valued and like they are making a contribution when this happens especially if someone actually listens and puts those ideas to work. +ow you create a situation where employees will want to give you their absolute best. Goals 4ow about an organi(ation that actually allows employees to participate in the goal setting process. &f course there are sales forecasts that need to be put together and there are commitments to shareholders and investors but when you let employees get involved they tend to take ownership of those goals and they become more committed and passionate about hitting those targets. #he goal no longer seems unreasonable or out of reach because everyone played a part in the goal setting process. Customer &ervice %veryone should understand that the customer is the life blood of an organi(ation and anything less than world class customer service is unacceptable. Committed To Be T#e Best hat if everyone was not only committed to being the best that they can be but also committed to making everyone else the best that they can be! hen this happens the company steps into a state of excellence because everyone is hat if that work were meaningful

striving for the same end result.

hen your entire organi(ation is looking for ways to do things better faster" as well as

more efficiently and effectively then the goal of being the best become a reality. #he ideal workplace would have everyone acting as though they were the owners with a passion for developing others to be their best" saving the company money" saving the company time" and increasing market share. ow that would be the ideal place to work.