We hear a lot about toxic work environments these days. As a business owner, the last thing you need is to discover that your company culture promotes toxicity. Instead, you want to be the kind of person that promotes a healthy work environment.
Whether you have a remote team, or whether you have a headquarters for your team, it’s important to look at the culture and take steps to promote an environment that encourages employees to be happy and healthy. Here are some of the things you can do to set the example and promote a healthy work environment:
1. Give Positive Feedback Along with Constructive Criticism
It’s easy to tell people they’re wrong. It’s also easy to set up a system of penalties to punish wrong-doers. However, that doesn’t lead to a work environment that benefits anyone — or your business.
Instead, focus on giving positive feedback. Praise employees when they do well. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you ignore mistakes. It’s possible to offer helpful suggestions and encourage employees to be better. My editors are always helping me move forward with my writing.
Learn how to work with people so that positive change is a joint endeavor for those in your company. That promotes a healthy work environment and can help your business in the long run.
2. View Your Employees as Assets
Do you see your employees as expenses and liabilities? Or do you see assets that can help you grow? When you view your employees as assets, you are more likely to treat them better and encourage them to do the best they can for the company. People who feel valued are more likely to do good work.
Plus, when you view your workers as assets, they are far more likely to stick around. You’ll have lower turnover, saving you time and money in terms of training costs.
3. Focus on Team Performance
One of the biggest ways to promote a toxic environment is to pit employees against each other. Instead of fueling competition between individuals and expecting them to work at the expense of others, it’s a good idea to foster a team feeling.
Help your employees root for each other by focusing on team performance. And not in terms of competition. A healthy work environment is one where people feel good about working toward shared goals, and everyone feels like they will be rewarded when everyone succeeds together.
4. Promote Work-Life Balance
Do you encourage your employees to live their lives? Or do they feel like they have to work all the time? Encouraging employee burnout can have negative impacts on your business in the long-term. You’ll see more sick days and more turnover.
On the other hand, if you promote a healthy work environment by encouraging employees to go home, offer flexible scheduling, and ask them to take their vacation days, they will be far happier — and even be more productive. You might be surprised at what it can do for morale and productivity when you insist on a healthy work-life balance.
In the end, your company’s culture can make a huge difference in how well the business does as a whole. Get rid of toxicity and focus on healthy habits, and you are likely to reap the benefits in your company.
