Maintaining a proper work-life balance, keeping employees happy, increasing productivity and staying organised must be top priorities for companies of all sizes. Happy employees lead directly to increased profits, while life balance and cleanliness are contributing factors. Companies that tie it all together successfully increase profit by increasing productivity while upholding a desirable work atmosphere.
Using Work-Life Balance to Build Morale
Employers are beginning to come around to the true meaning of work-life balance, realising that it is crucial to the overall success of a company. Compartmentalising work and home life looks good on paper but is seldom seamless in practice. Good managers and CEO's understand employees on a personal level, allowing for necessary, stress-free, often paid absences in the name of family care. This attitude increases overall employee morale with a direct increase in productivity through improved physical and mental health.
Studies prove that employees with a positive work-life balance are happier and more productive than those without equal opportunities. Further, companies that offer paid sick days do not force their employees to choose between work or health. This creates more satisfaction on the job, as well as higher overall productivity.
Successful Morale
It's important to know how to increase morale when an improved attitude leads directly to increased productivity. There are a few factors that affect morale and a few remedies to each factor.
Positive Leadership
A positive leader boosts morale by implementing employee-friendly policies and keeping the team excited for the work. Team support coupled with realistic goals helps team members feel accomplished as the task progresses when coupled with clear expectations. Delegation of tasks from an efficient leader also helps employees feel good about the job. Positive leaders delegate work to employees who are capable of the task, ensuring success and increased workplace morale.
Employees are also allowed some autonomy, implementing the SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goal-setting system. This makes the accomplishments personal, whether or not guidance from the leader was implemented.
Work Environment
The work environment, including fellow employees, must be geared toward success. Reduce distractions without placing too many restrictions on employees. For example, ask that employees do not use their personal cell phones at their desks, yet encourage plenty of breaks where the phone may be used. Be sure to keep the environment as stress-free as possible, as well, as this results in happy employees. Show employees appreciation and respect to increase feelings of satisfaction.
Keep the environment organised without removing too much personality. Ask employees to have only a few personal items, such as pictures, on their desks to help reduce clutter. Allow employees to feel like adults without obstructing the task at hand. Help the work environment flow through a visual organisation. Make sure the area is well-lit, and avoid leaving drab, grey walls bare. Use potted plants and framed images to add dimension to the environment. If there are windows, make sure the shades are open every day. The natural light will help increase serotonin, the feel-good chemical, in employees.
Structural Support
Morale may take a dip if a company needs to reorganise, move team members, or conduct layoffs. During this time, offer positive reinforcement to all employees, and continue to be efficient. Keeping the workflow as organised as possible while encouraging employees with positive feedback will give morale a boost until the changes are finished. As the changes are happening, pay attention to the employees. As workloads shift, some employees may take on too much. Encourage all employees to share the work, and offer support to those who do. Pulling together as a team and sharing the work will help increase morale when the changes are complete, as the remaining team will not feel "left alone" or abandoned during the transition.
As morale increases, so too will productivity. Further increasing productivity will increase overall profits and help the company grow. Employers can increase productivity further with the following three tips, effective for most company environments.
Allow for Focus
Employees must be able to focus on the task at hand in a clutter-free environment. The human brain, when it sees clutter, tries to make sense of the mess, taking away from critical time spent concentrating on a project. Further, some employees will attempt to clean up the mess, taking more time away from the necessary task. Make sure creative areas, desks, meeting rooms, and more are organised. All work materials must be labelled and put away after every use. Paperwork must be filed in an easy-to-access manner. Food remnants must be discarded, and piles of materials or papers must be cleared away. Employees must be able to walk into a workspace and begin a project right away, not organise the mess or mentally make sense of it all.
Reduce Germs
Productivity is increased by reduced sick days, and many sick days result from office illnesses. Keeping the office clean and disinfected will help reduce the spread of these illnesses. For example, a typical keyboard holds up to 7,500 bacteria at a time. Simply disinfecting work areas helps increase morale through physical wellness, therefore increasing productivity. Similarly, allowing employees to take paid sick days when necessary boosts productivity. The employee who does not have to choose between health and paying the bills will not bring the illness to work. The result is one employee out of work for a short time, rather than all workers out on a rotating basis over weeks or months.
Productivity and Profitability
Increase morale, productivity, and profitability with an organised office environment. Employees will spend less time searching for supplies or documents and more time being productive when the office is organised. Time lost searching for necessary items is money lost. In fact, the International Data Corporation revealed that companies lose up to £1.9 million annually to workers searching for necessary supplies. Reduce these losses while keeping employees happy by maintaining a clean, organised environment.
Enlist the services of a trusted office cleaning service provider today to help keep the environment clean, germ-free, and morale-boosting for increased productivity. Contact us today to keep your office tidy and clean!
