No perfect workplace exists. The road between a good work environment and frightening one, though, has many stops. To create a non-scary workplace, here are five things we’ve seen work that can work for your business, too.
Communicate early and often.
With every decision made, meeting set and email sent, consider who will be affected by the information gleaned or shared. Keeping people in the loop can be as simple as copying coworkers on relevant emails or stopping by their desks to chat about a project. Often a weekly team meeting can also communicate pertinent information and reveal any missteps or miscommunications. We hold our weekly meetings on Friday and chat about tech developments and project details over a breakfast sandwich.
Have a schedule.
Do you know when your conference room is free? Or if a client is coming into the office next week? Maintaining a master schedule can help immensely. Our Admin Bev Sherick manages our master schedule on a weekly and daily basis. Each Friday, she sends a “Look Ahead” email addressing the upcoming week. Each morning, she sends a daily email detailing any meetings, vacations, client visits and other need-to-know information. These emails go a long way toward creating an efficient, smoothly-running workplace.
Be honest with each other.
Issues are bound to come up when you work closely with others. Addressing them quickly and directly, though, makes all the difference. Too often, minor miscommunications snowball when gossip or resentment enters the picture. Instead, learn how to clear the air by approaching team members about your frustrations in an honest and fair way. And remember, skills like active listening, empathy and boundary-setting aren’t just for relationships outside of the office!
Practice positive speech and thinking in the work environment.
Your words have the power to transform the atmosphere of your workplace—for better or for worse. Practice sprinkling your workday with “please” and “thank you,” and adding a healthy dash of encouragement when you notice a job well done. When faced with differing personalities and perspectives, choose to focus on the positive aspects offered by such diversity. Developing a habit of positive speech creates a welcoming workplace both your team and your clients will notice.
Ask for feedback.
Don’t be afraid to request feedback from clients and team members on a regular basis. Honest commentary about you or your business can yield a wealth of insight, informing future decisions and revealing blind spots. Even though some feedback may sting, always take time to consider its validity and how you could do better in the future. Remember, the company and team member who asks for feedback and makes changes will be far stronger than those who resist feedback.
No workplace is perfect, but a non-scary work environment is within reach. After years of working together, our team has learned how to incorporate these practices into our workplace, and our clients have reaped the benefit. Want to learn more about what we could do for your business? Contact us here.
