A Healthy Work Environment: How can you Contribute?

If you have had a switch in jobs a couple of times, you’d agree with me that some workplaces drain you, demotivate you, and make you feel unfulfilled, while some do the exact opposite. I have stepped down from certain roles because they drained me and were terrible for my mental health instead of what I expected.

A healthy work environment is everyone’s dream, whether virtually or physically. It is easy to point accusing fingers at specific team members or even the lead and excuse your faults. All hands must be on deck; therefore, you should learn how to contribute to a healthy work environment and make conscious efforts. In this article, I have outlined a few tips you can practice to achieve the set goal:

Communicate Effectively:

• Be explicit: People cannot read your mind; therefore, you must be precise when talking or sending emails. Sometimes, arguments or quarrels ensue because someone misunderstood a message. It’s avoidable. To ensure your message is understood accurately, you can ask if the involved parties understand or go over it again.

• Maintain a good body posture: Your posture communicates your unspoken response to a conversation. Do not slouch, roll your eyes, or hiss, even if you disagree with the other parties. When talking to a superior, do not put your hands on your waist. Nod your head or smile at intervals to show that you are still listening.

• Mind other people’s body language: If you are talking to someone and notice as you speak, the person slouches the more, or their face goes moody, it means that you are beginning to say the wrong thing and hurt someone’s feelings. As much as you are watching what you are saying, you also observe how the person responds.

Time Management:

• Do not miss scheduled meetings without prior notice unless, of course, it is entirely unavoidable. If you have to skip the meeting for a reason, notify the attendees or your team lead hours or even a day before the meeting.

• Stick to deadlines: Slacking on deadlines does not only give you a bad reputation; it could cost your team and firm money, resources, time, and even clients.

Accountability:

When you make a mistake, miss a deadline or a meeting, offend someone, be open to accepting your faults and making amends. Be genuine in your apologies, not just dismissing the issue or avoiding discussion.

Teamwork:

You would realize that effective teamwork is a chance for lower employee burnout and increases productivity level. When one person is carrying the work of the whole team and some people are inactive, or when everybody takes the fault together, when everybody does what they supposed to do at the right time, as at when due, when they work hand-in-hand, there are fewer cases of burnout and increased productivity level and more successful individuals and the team as a whole.

• Allow people to air their ideas and opinions on specific issues, even if you think you know the best way to go about it.

• Celebrate and give credits to people: As a project manager, it is easy to want to take all the credits for a job well done, but you should always commend your team. It’s been found that when a person receives compliments, they tend to perform better. Using myself as an example, when I receive compliments from my boss, I tend to do better. I try to do better. I want to match what I have done before. I want to surpass it and get more compliments. So, learn to celebrate people; learn to give credits to people.

• Encourage people: People will feel discouraged at some point in time. Try to encourage people. Learn to be a pillar of support. An employee can be a support system for their boss; as a boss can be for an employee. An employee has human feelings, the same way the boss has. Support does not always have to come from the higher part of the hierarchy chart (that is, the boss). It can come from lower (the employee); it can go upwards and sideways (your work colleagues).

Developing a healthy working environment goes beyond having skills or professional knowledge. It entails having a good attitude, working on yourself, and learning how to interact with other people. For a healthy work environment to be achieved, all staff have a role to play. The above-listed tips are common ways that you can contribute in creating a healthy workplace.

Read Also: 5 Ways to Create an Enabling Work Environment for your Workers