Happiness in the workplace is underrated. Happiness makes us work harder and drives us to achieve more. It leads us to more fulfillment and satisfaction, and makes those inevitable moments of stress and frustration less frequent and more manageable. If any of us–employees or bosses–had a choice between a happy office environment and an unhappy one, we’d choose happy every time. So why are there so many offices that have an unhappy, dreary, or boring culture? Here are a few ideas to start injecting some positive energy into your workplace:
Give the office a personality
Show some creativity in the layout, design, and accents of your office space. Give it a personality!
Tear down the walls
The problem with walls is that they stifle interaction. They make work a sterile, silent, individual place rather than an opportunity for teamwork and collaboration. Lose them!
Create a break room – and use it!
Breaks are important for employee happiness, and they should be a true break from work. Liven up your break room with decorations and amenities–if you can’t offer free beverages and snacks, put in a ping pong table or a dart board!
Stop negativity in its tracks
If one person starts complaining habitually or starts destructively voicing dissatisfaction, it’s easy for everyone else in the office to be brought down. Monitor it!
Introduce spontaneity
Instead of scheduling meetings far in advance, round everyone up at their leisure. Call for company-wide breaks in the middle of the day, or offer an outing without warning. Mix it up!
What’s the vibe in your office? We’ve developed a whole model to transform organisations into happy and engaging places to work. Check it out >
