The Ingredients Necessary for a Productive Workplace
Creating a productive workplace is a tricky balancing act that requires everyone to respect company policies and procedures as well as a mutual respect for each other. It is possible to have employees that do not get along but are still able to be extremely productive. As a matter of fact, it is inevitable that you will have staff members that do not like each other on a personal level. But when you set the right business culture in your workplace, you will find that professional respect is significantly more important than personal feelings.
The process of developing a productive workplace begins with the recruiting and hiring process. When you find talented employees that seem to be a perfect fit for your corporate culture, then that is a step in the right direction. However, there will come a time when you are faced with deciding whether or not a very talented employee with a potentially caustic attitude is worth the risk. Remember that a harmonious workplace is something that is hard to achieve when you have people that do not want to be productive members of the team. If you see problems with an employment candidate, then it may be a good idea to move on to a new candidate.
The next step in developing a good workplace environment is having a comprehensive new employee orientation program. When your new employees sit down at their desks after their orientation program and they know what is expected of them, then that reduces a tremendous amount of potential problems immediately. Your current employees are not always going to have the time to help new employees get used to their surroundings. But if those new employees are already prepared to get to work, then that reduces stress.
The departmental manager or supervisor is a critical part of developing and maintaining a constructive workplace. A manager does not need to be loved by his employees, but he does need to be respected. When a manager takes the time to be a resource to his employees and spends time out on the work floor making sure everyone has what they need to get their jobs done, then that sets the tone for a productive workplace. Managerial interaction is extremely important in making employees feel as though the company cares about the quality of the workplace.
Another important element that managers contribute to a productive workplace is ongoing motivation. It does not take a lot to motivate most employees, but it does take a consistent effort from a manager to keep employees inspired. A manager that takes the time to personally recognize outstanding employee achievements will find that those kinds of efforts are appreciated. A hand-written thank you note from a manager to an employee for a job well done will go a long way to making sure that the employee works hard to get that kind of recognition again in the future.
A productive workplace is important to the success of your company. The more effort you put into making sure that you establish a positive work environment, the better your results will be when it comes to employee efficiency.