Creating A Healthy, Harmonious Working Environment For Your Team
A healthy, strong team offers an array of benefits for business owners. Healthy, happy employees are more productive, high retention rates enhance brand image, and positive relationships contribute to inclusive, supportive working environments. As a business owner, there are myriad ways to create a healthy and harmonious workplace. To help you get started, we’ve put together a handy list of hacks.
Define clear company values
If you run a business, it’s important to think about your company values and culture as well as sales, profits and losses. Define clear brand values and make sure your actions back up your words. Think about what matters most to you, what you want your business to achieve and how you want customers, employees and other brands to view your company. Use your values to guide policy making.
Image Credit: Amy Shamblen
Promote healthy lifestyle choices
It’s not up to an employer to tell people how to live their lives, but business owners can play a crucial role in promoting and facilitating healthy living. Simple things like researching healthy eating options and popular office snacks, encouraging regular breaks to get fresh air and stretch your legs and building a well-being-focused employee benefits package can make a big difference.
Research shows that over 90% of employees consider well-being as important as pay. Look for ways to make the workplace healthier and provide opportunities for your employees to nourish their physical and mental health. You could team up with a local gym or yoga studio to offer discounted membership as part of the employment package, for example, or provide subsidies for counseling or creative workshops. Other fun ideas include encouraging employees to create sports teams or take part in active pursuits together, such as doing charity runs or obstacle courses.
Image Credit: Amy Shamblen
Prioritize communication
Communication is a driving force behind strong, cohesive teams and positive relationships between employees and employers. Good communication involves talking and listening. Make time to speak to your team, encourage open conversation and make sure you’re accessible. Listen to ideas, opinions and suggestions and address concerns. It’s advisable to schedule regular meetings with your employees, but it can also be helpful to chat informally. This can help you break down barriers.
Another important step to improve workplace communication is to make it as easy as possible for your team to work collaboratively. Adding communal spaces and exploring opportunities to socialize outside of working hours can be beneficial. It’s important that everyone feels able to express their opinions and ideas and voice concerns. Try to ensure that your workplace has a culture that actively champions inclusivity and reduces the risk of isolation and conflict. Implementing policies and providing access to training for your team can help to create more welcoming and harmonious environments.
Our working environment can have a dramatic impact on our mental well-being, our physical health and our performance levels. If you run a business, it’s beneficial to understand the importance of creating happy, healthy and harmonious workplaces and promoting employee health, safety and well-being. Simple strategies, such as defining your company values and culture, promoting healthy lifestyle choices and prioritizing open communication, could have an amazing effect on your team.
