How to create a supportive, conductive and productive work environment

For an employee to be productive he has to be satisfied and happy at his work place. An apt work environment gives a boost to employee morale and inspires him to be focused and dedicated. A suitable work environment encompasses all the people, place and situations that an employee comes across in his daily work schedule. A happy mind and soul is more productive and initiates a zeal to perform. So it becomes the prime responsibility of the organization and the management team to provide the employees with a compatible, comfortable and supportive work environment for best results. Success is all about team work and the team comprises of different individuals with independent approach. Training them for a common task is easy but aligning their efforts for the achievement of a common goal is a big challenge. Some of the factors important in creating a supportive, conductive and productive work environment are as stated below.

• Trust Factor: It is very important for the management and the employees to share a trust worthy relationship. This helps in a long lasting and fruitful association. There should be an alignment of goals for both of them to put in efficient efforts to accomplish them. Transparency is one key factor in this regard. There should be clarity in the expectations from both the ends to avoid friction. An idea from an individual in the team should always been highlighted and credited if worthy. It would increase the commitment level of the employees and they would be more focused and involved in their designated tasks.

•Freedom of expression: This is the most important aspect of a healthy work culture as every employee is an individual with independent opinion and should have the freedom to express it within limitations. Especially with matters related to a particular task or project it is always good to have ideas and feedbacks from all the members in the team and then come to a conclusion rather than imposing an idea on all of them. It not only boosts up the confidence level of the employees but also encourages them to be more focused and dedicated to their work and contributes more. The more the contributors are the better the idea would be. And if the trend follows the contributors might increase with time contributing not only with their efforts but also with their ideas.

• Rewards and Recognition: An effort if not recognized can be the biggest factor for employee dissatisfaction. Acknowledging and rewarding the efforts not only boosts the confidence of the employee concerned but also inspires others to put in more efforts to achieve their targets and goals. It is also an important indicator of management’s awareness of their employee’s contribution to the organizations growth. It makes the employees feel that they are being observed, guided and also rewarded for their effective efforts. Rewarding and recognizing the talent initiates a healthy and productive work culture as the employee puts his best efforts as he know he is one of the key contributors and would be rewarded and recognized for his efforts.

•Empathy: There is an age old saying “Treat your employees as you want to be treated” It is very important for the management to be empathetic towards its employees. They should not only be treated as just employees but as individuals with independent approach. If the management does not involve and connect with its employees at a personal level to some extent, they might lose out on some good performers in the long run. There are times when an employee wants to be heard and considered for his issues either personal or professional. Management should never be negligent towards such situations as it might discourage the other employees and they might eventually lose their trust and commitment towards the organization.

• Grievance handling and Councelling: There should be a proper team to address and handle the employee grievances. The employees should be well aware of their rights and well informed about the channels to address their concerns. Any work environment cannot be perfect in all aspects but it has to be healthy in terms of work culture and the behavior of the management and employees towards each other and among themselves. Proper counselling sessions can help the employees map and understand their career path in the company and also boost a trustworthy and healthy work environment.