7 Simple Ways To Cultivate A Happy Workplace

 

1. Hire Happy Personalities

 

Hiring people who are going to help make your workplace happier will take a little thought and preparation. It is natural to focus on relevant experience and past achievements when interviewing a candidate. And you are right to want those things for your company. But ignoring the personality is a mistake.

 

The greatest candidate on paper might be the worst person to bring into your office. Look for the intangibles. Be very aware of how you feel around the person. Do they seem like they focus on the positives or negatives? Do they laugh? Do they smile? Do they seem like they create and nurture relationships? While their track record in terms of performance is very important, a person that brings gloom and doom to the workplace will kill productivity and motivation.

 

2. Be Community Minded at Work

 

Make a point of encouraging people to say hi to each other. Sounds simple but it is actually an incredible way to build a sense of workplace community and something that busy focused people forget. Start by making it a policy to have your executives and managers make sure to take the time to say hi. Choose ambassadors from all different levels and areas of your company to do the same. Acknowledging people can change the entire atmosphere and make your workplace be a much nicer place.

 

3. Get Out of the Work Routine Occasionally

 

We have a tendency not to focus on the big picture when we are really busy. This prevents us from creating perks or planning fun events that make the workplace happier. Treat people to something surprisingly good and fun. A day at the amusement park, a movie in the afternoon with popcorn and candy, chair massages. Anything you can think of to make people feel that you are doing something nice for them will make people feel happier.

 

4. Show That You Care About Your Employees

 

Ever hear of the Hawthorne effect? It’s the increase in productivity in the workplace when people feel that they are cared about. It makes people happy to be asked how they are and for you to take a little time to find out how things are going in their lives. That doesn’t mean spending hours at the water cooler having conversations about people’s lives. It means remembering to take the time to say, “How are you”.

 

5. Encourage Some Selfish Thinking

 

Part of the secret to being happy at work is to encourage people to have personal career goals. When people feel that they are working toward something, the day-to-day politics and stresses of the workplace don’t matter as much. Each challenging day can be better tolerated because it is a means to a personal end. People are able to separate themselves from their jobs and not become mired in the negativity when they are focused on reaching personal goals.

6. Focus on the Positive

 

Lots of places get caught up in the negative. They debrief by going over what didn’t work. Turn that around. Focus on the positive. That doesn’t mean that you should ignore the things that need to be improved on, it just means that when you are looking for the good, you will find the good. If you look for the bad, everything will seem bleak.

 

7. Give Back With Your Employees

 

Do something to give back to your community or to the world. Having a company wide initiative that makes a difference will make people feel connected to the greater good. Take a poll. Find out what people care about and get their opinions on how best to accomplish those goals.

 

SOURCE:monster.ca