Enhancing a positive workplace culture 

Work is such a big part of our lives - some of us  spend more time at work with our work whanau than with our family members or significant others. So the kind of workplace culture we are part of makes a big difference to how we feel about work and life.

​Each person in the workplace has a part to play in the kind of workplace culture that is created.  From leaders who are the role models, to every team member - each being able to influence the environment by the values and behaviours that are displayed at work .

How I am matters, how you are matters, how we treat each other when things are going well and when they are not - all has an impact. So as we are inside in these winter months, it is good to reflect on what our workplace is like and what we can do to enhance the positive workplace culture that we all want.

6 Ways to Create a More Positive Atmosphere at Work

1.Note what's going well 
Writing down three good things that happened to us today in a notebook just before they go to bed is powerful exercise - it  're-educates an individual's attention so that they look for what's right with their life rather than focus on what's wrong. At work leaders can introduce a variation of this by beginning meetings with everyone saying what's gone well since they last met. Display boards can also be used for staff to write up things they feel positive about, or positive behaviours they have appreciated in a work colleague.

2. Enhancing the sense of meaning and purpose
Individuals commonly report that what they like about work is the sense of meaning and purpose it gives them - i.e. serving a goal larger than themselves. Finding ways to keep connected to a sense of purpose can be motivating and encourage more positive feelings. This can be done by having a strong vision or mission and talking about this more at meetings. Finding ways to tell inspiring stories about how work achievements  is another useful way to do this.

3. Building strong relationships between manager and staff             The quality of a person's job is affected most by the relationship they have with their immediate manager or supervisor. It is impossible to create a positive climate at work without having strong, positive relationships between managers and employees. This cannot easily be done without time -  talking to employees and investing in their relationships. 

4. Encourage optimistic thinking 
Research shows the power of optimism and positive thinking. In organisations where a pessimistic view predominates (eg in team meetings) it can be helpful if this is discouraged by those in leadership positions. The two important aspects of optimistic thinking at work are -                                   a.Seeing problems as temporary and as a challenge with a solution.
b.Viewing problems to restrict the problem to the immediate challenge rather than generalising to make everything feel wrong. This make the problem less overwhelming.

5.Reduce negativity                           One way to do this is to encourage individuals to make a distinction between the things they can control and the things they can't control.  It is much more productive for people to focus their energy and attention on the things which are in their 'circle of influence'.  

6.Encouraging a growth mindset  Those with a growth mindset believe that ability can improve and skills can develop with hard work and effort. Research shows that people with a growth mindset tend to do better than those of equal or superior intelligence but who have a belief that intelligence is fixed and unchangeable - a fixed mindset. 

       Which strategy can you and        your team work on?