Unless you work from home, it is likely that you spend more waking time at the office than you do at your house. Because of this, it is important to curate an environment that is pleasant and hospitable for you and others in the workplace. A negative environment can breed low motivation and dissatisfaction among employees. Here are a few of the many ways to establish a positive office environment.
Get Rid of Physical Dangers
Some working environments are more dangerous than others. For example, the construction industry contains more physical hazards than a typical office. However, an office can still have hazards that all employees should keep an eye out for and eliminate. Heavy boxes of office supplies can potentially block exit paths, and people not paying attention to their food cooking in the lunch room can pose a fire hazard. Getting rid of or reducing these physical dangers helps ensure that people are safe in the workplace and can concentrate on other tasks.
Focus on Mental Wellness
Many employers are starting to pay more attention to the mental wellness of their employees. Some ways to encourage mental wellness in an office environment include:
- Making sure people take designated breaks throughout the day, whether they stay in the building or go for a walk outside around the building
- Having a culture where people are not afraid to talk about conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD
- Not punishing employees for taking an occasional day off for mental well-being
- Sharing your own experiences with mental health, if you are comfortable doing so
Since ignoring mental health can lead to lower productivity and more sick days in the long run, it is in everyone’s best interest to focus on mental well-being.
Encourage Communication
A workplace where everyone feels that their ideas are heard is a more positive environment. Fortunately, there are many ways to encourage communication in the office. For example, if you are a manager, you might leave your door open for most of the day so that your employees feel free to stop in to chat or ask a question. If this is not feasible, you can set up scheduled meetings with your employees throughout the week and ask them to bring any questions or concerns that they have to you at that time.
Consider doing these three things that help make a work environment more positive and employees more productive.