Is Your Staff Culture in Real Jeopardy?

Few things can bring your organization to a screeching halt like a toxic staff culture. The satisfaction of your employees and the productivity of your teams are reliant on a positive work environment. If your staff culture appears to be in jeopardy, consider these tips to make repairs.

1. Get to the Root of the Issue

If there is constant chaos in your office that puts the morale of the team in jeopardy, diagnose the problem before the staff culture gets any worse. Are particular employees bullying or gossiping? Are workers bogged down by heavy workloads or unrealistic expectations? Once you figure out what the core problem is, make a plan to correct it.

2. Encourage Collaboration

Great staff cultures are based around open communication and teamwork. Foster collaboration in your organization by creating shared work spaces that allow employees to work together to brainstorm solutions and reach goals. Make sure managers maintain an open-door policy with subordinates.

3. Trust Your Employees

Staff culture takes a nosedive when employees feel micromanaged. Empower your workers to make decisions and complete their duties without supervision. If employees feel trusted, they're more likely to come to you when they do have an issue or need advice.

4. Reward Good Behavior

When you see employees performing well, recognize them for it. Employees who feel valued are more motivated and satisfied. Regular performance evaluations let employees know what you expect from them and how they measure up.

5. Make Work-Life Balance a Priority

Employees who enjoy a healthy work-life balance are happier when they're in the office, contributing to a pleasant staff culture. Create policies that allow employees to work from home a few days per month. Be flexible with vacation days or offer excellent insurance benefits.

6. Provide Support for Poor Performers

Take notice of those employees who are suffering to keep up with their workload. Rather than criticizing their efforts, come up with an improvement plan to encourage success. Assign a mentor or offer additional training courses.

7. Plan Social Activities

Social events that include the whole team allow co-workers to interact outside of the office environment and connect over topics that aren't work-related. Plan a monthly night out to a baseball game or happy hour. Set up activities in the office, such as catered lunches or birthday celebrations.

8. Be Transparent

If there are issues within the organization, trust your employees to handle the news. Talk about potential fixes and discuss the organization's future. Make sure all workers know how their role fits into the company's mission and goals.

Keeping your employees happy is a vital part of running a successful business. If your staff culture is toxic, make steps to repair it before your bottom line suffers. What steps have you taken to improve company culture?

Photo courtesy of ThomasLee3 at Flickr.com