There are many factors that contribute to maintaining a healthy and positive workplace culture and at the heart of it is promoting positivity. But what can we do as employees to promote a positive attitude from our employees in the workplace?
- Learn to control your own emotions – When business is booming, it’s often easy to lose sight of what’s going on around you. It’s important to be conscious that employees will feed off your mood, so how to present yourself at the beginning of each day will be key to the level of work in terms of both quantity and quality that will be produced that day. I remember when I used to work in an office setting, only a small one of around 20 staff members. What we did each day and the mood of the entire office depended on how the CEO was feeling that day. If he was stressed with something that had come up, you would often find tension between colleagues at work which had a negative effect on not only productivity levels but also on the enjoyment and positive attitude of the entire office. It’s important to practice emotional regulation and there are lots of tools that can help you develop these skills. To some this may come naturally, and others may think they hide their emotions well but it’s important to remember your role within the company and how to can influence other people around you.
- Positive messaging – This one is important and will define you as a manager or management team. Because let’s face it, feedback isn’t always going to be good for everyone and there will times where you must deliver bad feedback but the outcome of this can be shaped by the type of communication or messaging you have with the employee in question. Remember to be positive but not patronising, recognise their qualities, their contribution to the company and explain the implications of their actions so its easy for them to understand. Negativity in the workplace spreads like wildfire, so it’s important to put it out before it starts. Fairness is also a key factor to wellbeing and happiness in the workplace so it’s important to maintain calmness and be fair (not letting your own emotions get in the way) when delivering feedback for example.
- Develop relationships – Promote an open-door policy where employees feel they can approach you when in need. Of course, there will be times when you need to shut yourself away, whether it’s to get a piece of work done or for an important meeting but if you are simply working away at things, it’s a good way to let people know that you are available for them, to help and listen. These relationships will promote open conversation within the team and prevent negativity spreading within the workplace.
- Know your mission – When work gets busy and begins to grow, it’s important to always come back to the true mission of the company. What is it you set out to achieve? Hopefully along the way, you would have recruited people who are helping you move towards those goals, so looking after them is key to staying true to that mission
- Show gratitude – Be thankful, every day for something. Positivity in a workplace starts at the core, if you have a negative or unhappy management team, its unlikely that you will have a happy workforce. Remember, your employees are your true observers, they understand the company, they understand the mission and they are watching you communicate and delegate which informs them of their security within the company. Positivity within the workplace is based on security of a role, enjoyment of a role and salary/benefits, so it’s important all these factors are covered.
If you are interested in promoting or boosting positivity within your workplace, then get in touch today. We have various workshops and teambuilding Employee Health Days tailored to your needs.