Guarantee Your Business Workplace is a HAPPY Place

05 Apr Guarantee Your Business Workplace is a HAPPY Place

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work”

-Aristotle

There’s a lot to be said for happy employees and workplace productivity! Take it from the big-guy, Aristotle, quoted above! The bottom line is that people are more motivated, eager, and willing to do work (GOOD work!) when they are rewarded by the community in which they are employed. It’s not really rocket science, and it also doesn’t demand a culture of plasma televisions, excessive amenities, and the like. A simple “job well done!” and relaxed work space is enough incentive to produce GREAT work.

So, from the goodness of our Long Island, New York website design company, we would like to offer some general advice to businesses encompassing all industries. We’re going to take it back to basics because happy employees translates to better quality work, MORE productivity, competitive edge, and perseverance.

What makes work enjoyable? It’s an important concept to understand. Because, in some instances, even when you’re immersed in work that you love producing, but are confounded with an unhappy work environment, the relative productivity is NIL. The same can ABSOLUTELY be said for the inverse of that statement. Regardless of your industry, there are some “controllable” factors which guarantee increased happiness in your workplace.

Let’s take a closer look:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*Flexibility:

The most desirable and sought after companies to work for are those employing LIMBER work schedules. It’s not to say that cutting in and out of work at one’s leisure is acceptable, rather a less rigid work schedule. Of course, some industries are more capable of providing this flexibility, but employees who are encouraged to utilize a production clock both inside and outside of the office are generally happier. And, these individuals are also more likely to produce work more proficiently, stay employed long-term, and rarely call in or out of work!

*Don’t Stop! Keep it Moving…LITERALLY:

Ever noticed how the more you sit, the more tired you become? Well, that can be applied to the business world as well. Sometimes, a little physical mobility is what we need to get the creative juices flowing, stay engaged, and feel happy! Folks who get up and move periodically throughout the day are less likely to be tired, thereby NOT falling into the trap of exhaustion and anger. Aside from movement simply being good for your physical health, it helps reduce mental stress triggers and the like. In fact, some businesses urge and encourage employees to use their AWESOME gyms! SWEET!

*Don’t Isolate and Segregate Employees:

Sitting in a solitary, enclosed cube all day certainly LOOKS like prison. So, why wouldn’t it FEEL like prison as well?! While cubes ARE a logical layout for quiet, productivity, and work in general, the cubes of the ENCLOSED persuasion are isolating and just SAD! Happiness in a business environment doesn’t demand freebies and special treatment to favored employees! We can’t stress this enough. Of course, WORK places must adhere to office culture, and cubes are not an entirely BAD thing. At our Long Island, New York web design firm, we have cubes of the OPEN persuasion, generating freedom to easily communicate with other employees. It’s the little things!!!

If you put a person in a hospital bed, they begin to feel sick due self-fulfilling prophecies. DON’T CLOSE OFF YOUR EMPLOYEES AND PROMOTE A PRISON-LIKE CULTURE!

*ENGAGE Yourself:

It’s kind of like trying to watch a movie, while trying to simultaneously read a book. Failure to truly dedicate one’s self to a task often results in lack-luster experience. In order to experience the full capacity of anything, you need to be fully ENGAGED. Those individuals who immerse themselves into the full culture of the business will, generally, possess more happiness, connection, and dedication to the work at large. From a managerial perspective, engagement from employees is often easily attained by offering benefits packages, appreciation programs, performance assessment, break rooms, and small incentives to be a part of the team.

*Reward Employees with Verbal Thanks:

It’s really that easy. Rewarding employees doesn’t have to be synonymous with extravagant gifts. A simple “job well done” or “thanks for doing a great job” is enough to completely lift an employee’s morale, not to mention induce THAT much more incentive to continue putting forth great work. Of course, the Keurig machine, free snacks, and catered lunches are also a plus and certainly appreciated, but sometimes the verbal recognition is the powerful touch to drive employees toward greater success and achievement.

*Take on Healthy Challenges:

When professional boxers are getting ready for a big fight, they often spar opponents who are slightly bigger or faster than themselves. Why? Well, there’s a great deal of value and experience removed from “rolling with the big dogs” to gain higher success rates in the future. The same concept of taking on healthy challenges can definitely be applied to the work environment.

The key to gaining achievement is by taking on activities that are difficult, but not overwhelmingly unattainable. The industry you work in should have no bearing on employing this task. If you’re feeling a little intimidated about a work-related endeavor, this is your chance to rise to the occasion, gain experience, and thrive.

*Take the Noise Down a Notch:

It’s no surprise that loud noises are associated with stress. Think about a Manhattan subway platform, the onset of a quickly approaching ambulance, or a shrieking baby’s cry. Your blood pressure is seemingly rising as you read this. Similarly, loud office-associated noises are just as startling to our peace of mind and work productivity. Whether it’s an army of printers and keyboards, talkative coworkers, or outdoor disruptions, we are bothered and distracted by abundance of noise. While there is no way to completely mitigate sound in a work place, you can employ sound-absorbent materials to walls, utilize white-noise machines, and even turn to the handy-dandy headphones when in doubt! Keeping your sound level at a comfortable medium is enough to lock down both workplace happiness and efficiency.

*Get Comfortable:

Employee comfort goes a long way regarding productivity in the office. And, again, it doesn’t mean that employers must furnish the office with Termpur-Pedic chairs and fruit displays. When employees are comfortable, the work is easier to manage and focus on. Stock adjustable chairs and desks for employees, so they can simply manage their small work space, as well as easily shift weight throughout the 8 hr+ day. In fact, shifting weight and moving joints is so important and stressed for office comfort, that we even endorse standing at your desk to work for brief moments. Employees who do so have asserted that they not only feel more comfortable at work, but further report more productivity and feelings of energy!

Realistically, procuring office happiness is really not a challenging feat, if you simply consider the relative value and care of the team. By ‘treating others and others’ space the way we’d like our own to be treated,” we can produce an environment that promotes happiness and productivity. It’s the simple things, really! Some comfortable chairs, a sound-friendly workspace, and genuine displays of gratitude! These small things have the potential to boost office morale, increase the smile-factor, and truly bolster productivity.

So GET HAPPY!