How Healthy Work Environments Shape Productivity
Welcome to the By Design blog! Here you'll find tips and strategies for how to lead more effectively, tools for how to work together more efficiently, and commentary on workplace climate and culture. Our goal always with By Design is to both equip AND inspire - because that's how change actually happens.
For our inaugural post we're talking about a crucial tenet and really the whole point of work: productivity. Everyone needs it, employers want it and society relies on it. There are many factors that influence levels of productivity including sleep/rest levels, work scope and capacity, physical environment, emotional well-being, etc. However one of the most important factors is your workplace climate and culture, which is a combination of professional relationships amongst you and your team and your policies and procedures.
A study done in 2019 across multiple industries and in 33 different countries showed that companies who invest in workplace climate outperformed (in sales numbers) those that didn't invest by 202%. Why? Because when employees feel secure and happy in their jobs, they can actually focus on their work. Additionally, they'll be more committed to staying long term, so they'll work harder to make sure they are meeting job expectations.
On the contrary, when in a toxic environment employees spend a lot of time and energy on coping with the fallout from their working conditions. Dealing with workplace gossip, in-fighting, or in severe situations outright abuse makes it hard to focus on the actual job you're getting paid for. Toxic work environments can also take a serious toll on mental, emotional and physical health which can lead to more employee absences and higher rates of turnover, which severely impacts productivity levels.
Here are some recommendations for setting up your workplace culture to foster high levels of productivity:
1. Offer flexibility on HOW to get the job done - but firm expectations on WHEN the job should be done and the quality of work.
People work best in different ways, at different times (i.e. some people are more creative/motivated at night vs. the morning), and in different environments. You can be limited in how to offer flexibility based on your industry and whether remote work is possible. But if there are ways to give your team some autonomy in how and when they work it sends the message that you value them and their unique needs as. It also is a show of good faith that you trust them to do the job they were hired to do, and limits micromanaging. However it's vital that you communicate your expectations on what the quality of work should look like and give specific deadlines on projects.
2. Conduct thorough and consistent evaluations on your workplace culture.
Providing your team many opportunities to give feedback on their experience (i.e. surveys, focus groups, reviews, etc.) helps you understand and (hopefully) meet their needs. But be cautious about what I like to call "evaluation overload" meaning you're sending out surveys or asking for feedback too often. Planning a review once a quarter or twice a year is a good target.
3. ACT on the feedback you get.
This is where a lot of managers and companies miss the mark. It seems to be understood that getting feedback on workplace culture is important - but what you DO with the feedback is far more crucial. Doing nothing over time makes your team less likely to offer valuable input, and damages trust in your ability to lead. It sends the message that you don't actually want to make changes, you just want it to appear that you do. Oftentimes this type of work gets put to the bottom of the to-do list, so set reminders or schedule in time and deadlines for yourself as you would with other important projects.
4. Pay attention to the physical environment.
How is your office space set up? Is it a comfortable temperature? Does your team have the supplies and space they need to be productive? While open floor plans and communal spaces are great for collaboration, they can also lead to a lot of socializing and distractions. The ideal physical work environments are ones that offer spaces for collaboration when needed, but also private (and quiet) areas where your team can focus on their tasks. Also, factors like temperature, comfortable chairs/desks, amount of direct sunlight, etc. can help make the physical environment better for productivity.
5. Address issues or challenges quickly and effectively.
No one expects a completely perfect work environment void of any issues whatsoever. When working with other people there are bound to be disagreements and conflict - it's a part of human nature. But a huge component of what makes the environment safe rather than toxic is HOW you respond and manage issues or conflict. The majority of people are understanding when concerns arise, but not so understanding if those issues aren't handled in a prompt, respectful and effective way. Some managers choose to not give attention to conflict thinking that addressing it will make it worse or a bigger deal than it needs to be. But in my experience that is the worst thing you can do. It sends the message that you are allowing the behavior to happen and don't care about the well-being or concerns of your employees. Does this mean that you have to intervene on every single conflict that you observe? Of course not. If it's small enough for your team to resolve on their own, you should empower them to do so. But if it has escalated or someone has asked you to step in - you need to address it so everyone can move on.
Effective, safe, productive environments look different depending on your industry - but you can always rely on the experts to give you good feedback so you can keep working toward that goal. If you're not sure who I mean when I say experts - that would be your team! The people that work in the environment daily are the ones you should be listening to. But also remember that it's your job as a manager to actually address the issues or make the changes for the environment to be better, safer and more productive for your team.
