Promoting Positivity Without Toxicity
A company is only as good as its staff. If employees feel valued and look forward to coming to work, they’ll be more productive, make better decisions, and provide great customer service.
Ways Employers Can Use Positivity To Drive Their Employees Forward
1. Receiving Feedback
Even if it’s hard to hear, a good manager will ask their workers for feedback. They’ll listen without interrupting or trying to make excuses. Employees might reveal that they want things to be managed differently, or that they need help with certain tasks. It gives employees a chance to voice any frustrations they may have about work.
More importantly, it gives managers the opportunity to find areas for improvement. This will help create a positive workplace and may even improve efficiency. For example, if employees complain that the front desk computer is slow, it alerts managers to the problem. They can then call tech support or buy a new computer to reduce staff frustrations, let them work faster, and provide a better customer experience.
2. Providing Feedback
Receiving feedback and being there for your employees is important for providing a positive work environment, but employers should also give feedback to their staff. Managers can’t control how employees choose to share their opinions, even with processes in place. However, they can control how they give feedback to their employees.
When addressing a problem, managers should avoid framing their feedback as an insult, or as criticism without offering solutions. Instead, a manager should highlight their employee’s strengths, but also point out where they need to improve. Then, they can explain what they need the employee to do in order to succeed. They can finish by reassuring the employee that they’re doing well in other aspects of the job, thus ending on a note of positivity.
3. Encouraging Growth
Employees who have opportunities for growth, such as taking on new responsibilities or earning a promotion, will feel motivated to work harder. Employers can offer rewards for advancing in the company. For example, they can provide a raise, bonus, or certificate to reinforce the employee’s achievements.
Managers should strive not only to provide these opportunities for advancement in the workplace, but also to help their staff grow in their personal lives. Employers can offer workshops or bring in motivational speakers to provide their own inspirational perspectives and help drive employees forward [1]. This can promote a growth mindset where people strive to get just a little bit better every day.
4. Helping Without Micromanaging
Employees want to feel competent at work and know that their manager trusts them. Managers who only step in when needed, rather than constantly watching over their employees’ shoulders, send the message that they believe in their staff’s abilities.
Checking in periodically is a good way to see how people are performing at work. Employers should refrain from pointing out every tiny mistake their employees make, especially in the beginning, since this may give workers the impression that they can’t do anything right. A more encouraging method is to only bring up larger mistakes, or to point out smaller errors over time.
When employees encounter an issue, a good manager will first encourage them to figure things out for themselves. This gives them a chance to learn new skills. If they still need help, then the manager should give them guidance and explain the process.
5. Making People Feel Valued And Valuable
Part of running a positive workplace means letting people know they’re making a difference. With work taking up so much of people’s lives, employees need to know they’re doing something meaningful for the company and the world at large.
Employers should let their staff know when they’re doing a particularly good job. They should verbally thank people for coming in to work during difficult times, or for picking up extra shifts, providing great service, or staying late at the office to meet a deadline. Giving a shout-out to hard workers makes them feel valued.
Driving Employees Forward
Creating a healthy work environment is crucial to ensuring employee success. It will improve their experience at work and beyond and bring some much-needed positivity into their lives.
References:
[1] What Makes A Great Inspirational Speaker?
