The leaders can learn to create a positive workplace culture with these tips

Running a successful organization is never a one-man show. It depends on the cumulative efforts of the entire team working there. A workplace environment should be such that it should encourage employees to wake up every morning, flushed with positive energy and looking forward to the day at work. Workplace culture is the way the leaders of the organization engage employees, so they show up to work happy and ready to put their best foot forward. The way leaders function and behave is the driving force behind the day-to-day motivation and long-term commitment to business goals and values. The leaders of any organization pave the way towards growth while others follow their vision. So, if being a leader, you are wondering how to create a positive workplace culture, read on.

What is a positive work culture?

A positive work culture promotes the well-being of its employees, creates a space of psychological safety, and empowers employees to bring out the best in them while adhering to the policies, leadership, and company values. A company’s culture is the total of its values, goals, practices, behaviour, and what employees aim to achieve, tells psychologist and psychotherapist, Priyanka Kapoor.

Some of the positive workplace culture traits in leaders include:

• Business leaders are proactively cultivating equity, trust, and collaboration
• Employees are challenged to push their boundaries by making them take risks and innovate
• There is safety and organizational support for the personal development of employees
• Feedback is constructively given and achievements are continuously acknowledged outside of hierarchical structures
• Leaders strive to attach higher meaning to the work by aligning project goals with the company values and mission

Simply put, a positive work culture is where the leaders aim to enhance employee engagement and productivity by valuing employees at all levels and striving to improve their overall work experience. An invested employee, when valued by the organization, will feel loyalty towards the company and will work harder to achieve the common higher goals. Such a positive culture will boost morale and will help foster strong bonds between employees and leaders that can prevent negativity from festering.

Also read: Is toxic productivity taking a toll on your mental health? Know how to balance it

How to create a positive work culture?

Building a positive work environment that is growth-promoting does not happen overnight. It takes a lot of effort and alignment between leaders and the other team members to enhance the overall atmosphere. They should all have a sense of shared purpose that in turn paves the way for creating a healthy workplace environment.

Here are some ways leaders can create a thriving and positive work environment:

1. Analyze current practices, policies, and employee needs

To move a step further in any business, one needs to clearly assess where they stand at the moment. Hence, assessing the company’s current practices is the move towards aiming to foster a positive work environment. Leaders need to look for flaws and defects in current working styles, behaviours, values, goals, and work policies. Only when the leaders can understand the gap, they will be able to bridge it through fresh and more effective work policies.

2. Managers should be trained

All managers should stand on the same page when it comes to fostering positivity in the workplace. All the managers should be well-versed and trained to understand the new processes and should regularly engage in team-building activities which can substantially enhance productivity and encourage collaboration. When the entire team members of the organization feel like one and are in sync with the company’s higher goals, they will be able to perform better. Additionally, managers need to be understanding and compassionate, so the employees do not shy away from approaching them when in need.

3. Try to incorporate changes at an individual level

A drastic change in any company’s environment will happen by making small shifts and changes. This means that leaders need to work at an individual level by bringing shifts in employees’ behaviour and practices. This can include holding more feedback meetings, focusing on creating work-life balance and identifying hardships that employees are dealing with.

4. Give continuous support

Leaders should promote a consistent performance management model, where employees have frequent check-ins with managers. By continuously making real-time feedback and support available, the employees will feel supported and will get to know whether they are on the right track or deviating from the true personal and company goals.

Also read: If these 4 things are happening at your office, then your workplace is certified toxic

5. Encourage better communication

In an empowering business, managers and leaders should be approachable so that the employees can freely voice their opinions. Such a comfortable setting makes employees feel that they can speak their minds in a safe environment. Speaking up also includes proposing changes in current practices to a more efficient one that can benefit the company in the long run. This will also help build better social connections among the team members and supervisors.

6. Make room for flexibility

The leaders should focus on creating a stress-free environment where managers and employees can have fun. For that to happen, leaders must create a flexible environment and make changes when things do not work out to avoid creating a toxic environment. Happy employees will be more encouraged and eager to head to work, and this will result in better overall company performance.

7. Acknowledge good work

Embracing and acknowledging the employees with good feedback is imperative for establishing an empowering work culture and creating an improved work experience. There are several ways to encourage that, maybe by saying “thank you” or creating a rewards system that works for several teams.

8. Understand the individual’s personality type, strengths and weakness

Leaders need to be aware that each person is unique. Everybody is unique in terms of their emotional requirements, personality type, strengths and limitations. Assigning duties appropriately is a good idea. To perform better, one person might require more gratitude, while the other person would demand greater trust. They will be more productive and at ease at work as a result of this.