When you launch your own business and finally break away from the shackles of the norm, it is important for you to be able to work in a happier place. The reason why so many of us turn to our own projects and want to move to our own business is that we don’t enjoy working for others and the environment we work in is miserable.
As soon as we get that chance to work for ourselves and be free of bad managers, it is important that we are able to create and nurture a happy atmosphere in the office and beyond. Today we are going to take a look at some of the ways which we can make our office much happier all year long.
1. Give positive reinforcement
When we are in control of other people and we have the power to manage them in our own way, it is important that we take on board some great manager qualities. One of the things which can make the day of anyone working under your command is to tell them they are doing a good job and that you are proud of them.
Positive reinforcement for your workers is a good way to make them feel valued and they will carry on working hard to prove that they are as good as you say they are.
2. Show gratitude
When someone completes a task for you, always say thank you. As a manager, many of us can forget about this simple gesture, but in order to be a great manager, it is important for you to show gratitude towards all of your colleagues and workers.
Be sure to always show manners and make sure that you thank people because if you don’t make this into a habit, people won’t bother working hard for you and going the extra mile. Working with a group of people is about honing in those positive relationships and manners are a huge part of this.
3. Smile more
The more you smile the happier you feel. Smiling is something so simple to do but actually, as you smile more and more you are releasing positive hormones into the body. If you make a habit of smiling at your employees and everyone you see during the day, it will make you and everyone else feel more positive and much more ready to do some work.
4. Motivate
One of the things which a lot of offices are lacking is motivation. If you want to make sure that your workers are the happiest they can be, you will want to motivate them to work hard and achieve their goals.
One of the things you can do is decorate the office with positive quotes and images to make people feel pepped up. You can also have motivational books and magazines on the coffee table to help people gain the motivation that they need when they are having a down day.
5. Celebrate
When you manage to complete a task and you do it well, it is important for you to celebrate as a team and make sure that you all know that this has been a win for the office. Celebrating wins is a great way to motivate your employees because the promise of a free lunch or a pint can be all they need to work harder and make sure that they achieve these goals.
One of the other things you can do is celebrate things such as birthdays with the team. When it is someone’s birthday it can be a good idea for you to head out for lunch as a team, to present them with a card and a cake and make a working day birthday feel a little bit more special than it was before!
6. Spontaneous lunch
One of the things which can make the office feel more like a group of friends is to ask everyone out for lunch randomly on a Friday. If you are feeling as if you could do with a drink and some gossip, you can message everyone in the office and see if they want to head for a bite to eat together.
It’s a small gesture to make but it can be something which breaks up the day on a Friday and it will allow you all to let loose a little and enjoy yourselves.
7. Make an art wall
It doesn’t matter if you have the skill of monet or you can only paint stick men, a fun project for the office can be to create a collage wall in a high traffic part of the office where everyone can draw a picture.
This will allow those who are great at art to show off their skills, and it will also allow everyone else to have some fun and try to guess what everyone else has tried to draw. It will be a talking point in the office and it will help you feel a little closer to your workers overall.
8. Don’t be so cold
It is important that even as a manager you are able to take criticism and also respect that others might disagree with you now and again. For example, if you have made a decision for a project and someone disagrees, don’t simply tell them that the decision is final and walk away. Ask them why they disagree, let them share what they think, and this could actually be a way for you to change your view and open it up to something better.
9. Have a garden
One of the things which can make a huge difference to the mood in the office as well as the overall health of your employees is a garden. If you have a space outside the office which is owned by you, it is time to get rid of the depressing bench and table and instead create something fun.
A garden with flowers and herbs can be a wonderful way for people to relax on a busy day and it will also attract wildlife for people to enjoy. The mere ability to sit within nature for a little while can reduce stress massively and it will make a big impact on the day.
10. Encourage fun
Fun is something that many offices are lacking and it is super important for you to implement this to your office this year. There are so many ways to make an office more fun every day, for example, you could buy a tabletop ping pong set; you could have a PS4 with games to play tournaments with the office, or you can have fitness classes each week in the office.
There are so many ways to make the office more fun, so be sure to think outside the box and show your funny side. Even dressing up now and again for world book day, mad hair day, etc can be fun!
11. Take a break
Breaks are incredibly important for everyone in the office, and the happiest workspaces are ones where people can manage their own time and take breaks when things get a little too hard.
One of the best things you can do when things become tough is to step away and take a walk for a few minutes, and encouraging others to do this too is always a smart move.