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Imagine working with people who not only criticize everything you do but only believe in giving feedback—not receiving any.
No one wants to work for an organization that doesn’t support or encourage its employees to grow. Each person aspires to work in a place that values them and appreciates their efforts. Successful organizations are built on collaboration rather than blindly following orders.
Communication, conflict resolution and defined roles and responsibilities determine your organization’s work environment. Let’s understand what constitutes a positive work environment.
What Comprises A Positive Environment?
A positive work environment is one where you don’t feel compelled to prove your worth every single day. If your organization supports your aspirations, pushes you to take initiative and encourages open communication, it reflects a good working environment.
It’s important to identify whether your organization’s values and expectations match your own. Positivity at work is subjective and depends on the organization’s culture. If you prefer structure and stability, you may not enjoy working in a flat, non-hierarchical organization.
Here’s a list of attributes to help you determine the kind of work environment in your organization:
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Employee Satisfaction
Satisfied employees create a positive work environment. Organizations that prioritize employee satisfaction are more likely to offer benefits, amenities and outlets to refine their skills. Learning and development is a significant part of employee satisfaction.
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Respect And Trust
Mutual respect leads to trust among teams and departments. Respecting each other’s time and effort will give way to a healthy work environment. Whereas taking credit for someone else’s work, discounting their effort and relying on personal biases can negatively affect an organization.
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Communication Channels
An open channel of communication is a significant aspect of a good working environment. A place where you can freely interact and engage with internal and external stakeholders gives you the chance to be proactive. A positive work environment is one where you have the autonomy to put your points on the table.
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Accountability And Responsibility
Being accountable for your work and taking responsibility builds reliability. It’s important to work as a team and not step on others’ toes to get what you want. If you make a mistake, you must own up to them and make necessary changes. This way you’ll maintain a strong rapport with your coworkers.
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Conflict Resolution
Conflicts need to be resolved as they arise. They’re inevitable in the workplace and the best way to deal with them is to manage them. Conflict resolution makes it easier for you to move past things rather than dwelling on them. It can also help you create stronger bonds at work.
These are a few significant parameters that can impact your work environment. Let’s see how you can create a positive environment at work.
Creating A Positive Work Environment
While the organization can offer employee benefits and a space to thrive, it ultimately trickles down to how you perceive your work and coworkers. Here’s how you can cultivate a positive environment for yourself:
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Change The Way You Think
In most cases, all you need to do is change your perspective. It doesn’t mean that you have to ignore or avoid problems but alter the way you think or talk about your work. Instead of using words like ‘tedious’, you can say ‘challenging’. Working hard with a positive mindset is the recipe for success.
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Be Empathetic To Your Coworkers
If you’re working in a team, you have to focus on collaboration. You can’t expect to do everything on your own or look down on others if they can’t keep up. Striking the right balance between empathy, emotions and compassion will help you develop meaningful relationships at work.
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Prioritize Tasks
Rather than focusing on everything all at once, try to prioritize tasks on the basis of urgency and importance. This way you’ll stay on top of things without feeling like you’re drowning in spreadsheets and emails.
A conducive work environment isn’t difficult to achieve as long as you’re ready to make an effort. Learning how to work in a team, finding the right organizational culture for yourself and accommodating differences are a few places to start with. Harappa’s Navigating Workplaces course will teach you about workplace principles and how you can optimize your work life.
Explore topics such as the Importance of Work-Life Balance, How to Maintain Work-Life Balance, How to be Happy at Work & Why a Happy Employee is a Productive Employee from Harappa Diaries and build a sustainable work environment.
