Is Your Business Environment Positive?

April 17, 2017 by Ed Becker

A positive business environment creates a positive bottom line. If your employees are happy, engaged, and healthy, they will work harder, be more loyal, and be more creative. These positive qualities will increase your bottom line because they will exhibit higher productivity, be more customer service oriented, and more creativity creates better products, and services, and more efficient processes. See this study, State of the American Workplace by the Gallup Organization.

Another benefit to a positive work environment is everyones’s health. Stress is a huge cause of many dis-eases and even depression. Creating a more positive work environment will reduce sick days and healthcare costs. Less stressed employees are happier and more loyal, reducing turnover rates, directly reducing the cost of replacing an employee, which can be about 20% of their annual wage.

This all sounds great in theory, putting it into practice takes time, effort, and investment. It takes commitment to your company and your employees. Creating a feeling of team and personal involvement is a first step in creating a positive environment.

We will discuss a few changes that can be implemented that have been used with a high Return on Investment (ROI) in corporations and small businesses.

Recognitions & Rewards

Not all rewards and recognition have to be monetary. Recognizing hard work and exceptional results with simple verbal thanks or during company meetings can go a long way. A pat on the back or hearing “great job” on a regular basis does amazing things for morale. Recognize hard work, but not just from employees that put in long hours, this will reduce morale for employees that do not have time to do that. Ensure that all hard work is recognized.

Work-Life Balance

Employees who feel that you acknowledge that their personal obligations are important tend to be more loyal and less stressed at work and at home.  For example, giving employees the flexibility to schedule short personal appointments during business hours for as long as productivity is not impaired reduces stress for them.  Giving them the flexibility to manage their business and personal obligations creates a feeling that employees are respected, which greatly increases loyalty.

Health & Wellness Programs

Encouraging and implementing healthier practices in your business and personal lives will reduce sick days, healthcare costs, and increase productivity. Employees that are healthier often work harder, and are more focused. Creating an environment of healthy options and practices shows employees that you are concerned about them personally. Leading by example with a cleaner lifestyle shows that you honestly believe in personal development. There are many ways you can introduce a healthier environment.

• Unscheduled breaks
• Encourage social interactions
• Offer healthy snack and meal options
• Exercise options and rewards

You can implement these on your own with feedback from employees, or you could also hire a company/corporate health coach to help guide you and work directly with your whole company to implement a holistic health & wellness program.

Encourage Creativity

White board walls encourage creativity and social interactions by allowing brainstorming individually, and as a team. It gives employees a place to jot down ideas and opportunities to exercise their ideation muscle.

Natural lighting, if possible, or at least good lighting also increases creativity. Make your work areas bright and use colors that encourage creativity and productivity. Encourage employees to decorate their personal space, even make it fun with contests for best decorated desks. Creativity must be exercised just like the ideation muscle.

Creating a positive business environment not only keeps you and your employees happier and more balanced, it also will directly affect your customers. If you have face to face contact with customers, the direct effects will be seen very quickly, customers will notice! You will have more loyalty and repeat customers because they will feel the positive energy you and your employees put out. Even if you do not have direct contact with your customers, the positive energy will still affect the way your business is run and the way customers react to your services and products. It is a win-win strategy for your business on all levels.