Did you know that U.S. companies lose approximately $3 billion a year due to negativity in the workplace? Creating and maintaining a positive working environment is an important part of being a successful business. A positive company culture breeds happier workers, who are more productive. Increased productivity attracts more customers and translates to increased revenue. It’s a powerful circle of cause and effect that can mean the difference between growing your company or stifling its development.
You will spend roughly 90,000 hours of your life at work, so make the most of that time and help create an environment you want to be in. Here are some basic yet effective measures every individual within a company can take to eliminate workplace negativity, create a positive company culture, and increase overall success:
The Golden Rule
Colleagues have a major impact on your daily work experience. One of the best ways to improve the attitudes of your peers is to model the behavior you’d like to see in each of them. Showing respect and trust in an encouraging and patient manner to each of your colleagues will likely increase your odds of receiving the same treatment. Leading by example will also help position you as a vital asset to the company’s success, an attractive quality to any business owner.
Motivation Station
Anyone can motivate others, regardless of what position you work in or how long you’ve been a part of the team. Be a strong source of encouragement to those around. Help to motivate your peers and in turn they will motivate themselves, helping to spread that positivity through the company. From acknowledging a job well done and sharing inspiring quotes to listening and encouraging new, creative ideas, there are plenty of ways you can be a source of motivation and inspire others to excel.
Constructive Sincerity
If you are feeling under-appreciated, overworked or disrespected, speak up about it in a professional and constructive manner. Being open and honest about your concerns in a positive way can help to open the lines of communication and resolve issues before they become serious problems.
Be Accountable
Along with being upfront about any concerns you have, it is important to remember that holding yourself accountable is an essential part of being a team member. We must be willing to objectively look at our own performance in every area of life, and be honest with ourselves if there are areas that need improvement. Whether you excel or underachieve at a task, owning the consequences of those actions, good or bad, and handling them in a professional manner will show a level of integrity that your colleagues will respect and appreciate.
Refrain from Negativity
Negativity grows when fueled by more negativity. Whether caused by internal or external stressors, negativity will eventually show itself if those stressors are not handled in a constructive way. Choose to be above negativity and try to focus on the positive in every situation. Even when a situation presents itself that can only be seen as a negative, at the very least your team can learn and grow from the experience. Unfortunately, some individuals find turning a negative into a positive a difficult task. More often than not, when these personalities do not have anyone else’s negativity to feed off of they will either change their tune or leave the company. Do what you can to help them see the brighter side of things, but be careful not to get pulled down by their pessimism and step away when needed.
At Custom Aire, we strongly believe that the more positive the workplace, the better the overall work experience and the more successful the company will be. We are an employee-owned company that puts a high priority on career development, personal growth and a team environment, to help us build the most beneficial company culture possible. To learn more about our philosophy or how you can become a part of our team, visit our careers page or contact us.
