Do you feel as if your company is stuck in a rut? Are you struggling to find new initiatives to bring to the workplace? Have you recently hired some new employees who aren’t yet fully integrated? Below, you’ll find five ways to give your company a boost.
1 – Offer training and development opportunities
No one likes to feel as if they are stagnating in their role. Your employees should feel as if their position in the company can be developed and they have the chance to improve their skillset. If you can offer a corporate training platform that inspires and motivates them, you are guaranteed a happier team. Having better-trained employees will also benefit the company – remember, people are your biggest asset.
2 – Have a change of scenery
Just like repainting a wall, buying a new lamp or fixing a broken tap can make your home feel like new again, improving the office environment will have the same effect of your employees. Lighting is a key part of this – if you work in an office without much natural light, invest in some brighter bulbs or sun lamps, which mimic the effects of natural lighting and have been proven to improve mood. If there isn’t space in the budget for new furniture, give the office a spring clean. Get rid of old, unused paperwork, broken keyboards, things left by ex-employees. Move the desks around to create a sense of organization and rejuvenation.
3 – Hold face-to-face catchups
You can have formal and informal check-ins. A weekly team meeting is always a good place to offer praise to team members for any extra effort they’ve gone to, or achievements and goals that have been surpassed. Don’t leave it until then though to give employees a chance to air any grievances or concerns they might have. Check in with them informally throughout the week, over a cup of coffee, in the mornings – and make sure you’re listening to what they have to say. A monthly or six-weekly one-to-one meeting with individual employees is a great tool for assessing how they’re doing – is their workload too hard? Too easy? Too much? Do they need or want extra training? These meetings will give you the chance to get a really good grasp on your team, both as individual employees and as a whole.
4 – Do some exercises
Not engaging in physical activity, but team-building exercises. You’re probably groaning inwardly a little at that, but short and engaging team building activities will strengthen the bond between your team members. Rather than springing it on your employees, you could dedicate five to ten minutes at the beginning of the team meeting to an activity that you do together. It doesn’t have to be extensive or take up the whole meeting, but you’ll be surprised at the difference some teamwork and communal problem-solving can make. And if you’re handling a remote team, you can still do this with some virtual team building ideas.
5 – Find your leadership style
Above all, you want to build a sense of community. Your office is a big part of your life and maintaining a positive environment and enthusiasm from your team members and employees is a crucial part of that. Be encouraging and remember to acknowledge your mistakes.
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