Rethink Your Workplace–Unleash Your Full Potential
What makes a company a great place to work? The truth is, what makes a workplace great varies depending on who you ask. An ideal work environment can depend on the industry, the location, the existing corporate culture, and of course, the worker itself. Employers have spent countless hours, dollars, and resources trying to get to the bottom of this question. Most of it has led to the realization that there is no magic formula. There’s no single way, or perfect solution. There are, however, some suggestions that corporate visionaries can use. To improve the work environment, one must examine a company through a guided lens, determine where the workplace can be enhanced, and apply those changes in a socially and fiscally responsible way.
Why It Matters
Of course, all of this begs the question, “Who cares?” Why should top-level executives be concerned whether or not their employees are happy? It’s business, and it’s about making money; isolate what’s adding value to the firm and trim the fat. Of course this is true to an extent, running a business is about making money, and you definitely won’t see “INEFFICIENCY” spelled out on anyone’s list of corporate goals. At the same time, we have to keep in mind that even in this digital age, we are all still human. We weren’t built to sit at a desk and stare at a screen, or to work eighteen-hours straight without seeing the light of day. It is not conducive to a healthy mind, body or spirit, and in turn, it is not beneficial to a healthy business.
In 2014, revenues increased by an average of 22.2% for the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. There is a lot of research out there that supports the idea that a great workplace and happy employees leads to greater financial growth and stability. Many executives are starting to get behind this idea, so the question now is, what makes a company a great place to work?
How Do We Do It?
The Harvard Business Review lists six key factors when it comes to creating a great work environment. There are four that seem to stand out, and can be applied to any business. The following four principles can be used to help you create the best workplace on Earth for your employees.
Unleash the Flow Of Information
Why is it that the executive suite will keep things from lower level employees? Often times the reasoning is completely warranted. But other times it’s better to just put it all out there. The Harvard Business Review says, “The organization of your dreams does not deceive, stonewall, distort or spin.” That short sentence sums it up best; it is not necessary to disclose every bill, number, company secret and future plan, but it is important to keep people in the loop. When employees notice changes without reason, they are bound to speculate. Speculation leads to rumors, confusion, inefficiencies and stress. Keep the trade secrets on lock down, but trust that your employees can handle the truth.
Magnify People’s Strengths
The beauty of an organization is that it allows people to come together and create something bigger than any one person. It is the strengths of one married with the strengths of everyone else that produce the best end result. Not only is this beneficial to the finished product but it’s also important to the individual players. Workers thrive in an environment where they are able to be successful. We are inherently happier when we do something we’re good at, and when our contribution to the finished product is noticeable. The best workplace environments make their employees better by allowing employees to demonstrate their strengths. Figure out what they are, isolate them, and match them up with complimentary personnel based on the task at hand.
Stand For More Than Shareholder Value
Yes, in the end, the goal of any business is to make money. Even non-profits are still striving for financial success. The main focus here is that people want to be part of something bigger than themselves. The workplace is enhanced when it is clear what the company stands for, and what they value as important. Successful businesses today need a soul. We’re long past the 1950s when it was just show up to work 5 days a week, for 30 years, and walk away with a gold watch. Take companies like Apple, Google, and IBM, they don’t just provide their workers with a livelihood; they give them a chance to change the world, to connect, to inform, to make life easier for someone else. The greatest workplace on Earth is somewhere every employee be proud of.
Have Rules People Can Believe In
No one wants to jump through hoops for the sake of jumping through hoops. When writing company policy, it is of the utmost importance to ask, “Why?” Nothing brings down a workplace like clutter and misunderstanding. Unnecessary rules lead to gossip, back-talking and complaining behind closed doors. They are poison that spread through an office and infect everyone and everything. It’s important to make sure the rules are relevant and updated. Often, when workers think a rule or policy is pointless, they’re right, and managers would notice this too if they took the time to look. The clutter of excess rules and regulations brings down any workplace, regardless of the industry or business.
Final Word
It’s important to remember that different philosophies may work for different companies. Each individual firm is tasked with the responsibility of finding out exactly what works for them. What may work for a legal agency could be completely ineffective at an advertising shop. Managers need to pay attention to employee moods, efficiencies and, most importantly, feedback. There is something very important to be said about those who spend every day on the front line; even managers who worked their way up the ranks can lose sight of what it was like on the floor. Every workplace has the opportunity to improve; you just have to get out there and make it happen.
Written by Egan Montgomery…[email protected]