The changing seasons can often have an effect on workplace productivity, however by noticing what makes people happy as well as successful in their careers, leaders can help both themselves and their employees towards greater productivity within the workplace.

Here are four simple tips to create positive environments that promote wellbeing, energy and happiness.

Give people the opportunity to take a break from tasks as this will keep their energy high. Breaks lead to fresher minds, greater problem-solving and improved creative thinking. Encourage employees to take breaks whenever they see fit (within reason). Set up a dedicated break room, and fill it with things that will take your employees minds off their work for a few minutes - complimentary coffee, fruit or even a game.

Celebrate achievements

Recognise achievements and embrace them! Whenever a team or individual hits a major goal, or when the business reaches a milestone, treat them. You don’t have to spend vast amounts of money or for it even to take up a lot of time, but hosting a mini gathering makes a big impact. It helps people to reflect on their hard work, spend time together and feel good about the progress the business has made.

Upskill

Ensuring employees develop new skills and hone expertise is both rewarding and profitable, and proves an excellent way to boost engagement.

Get people to take ownership and invest in their own skills, with training and creative sessions that provide a break from the admin that often dominates workloads. This can be in the form of a bespoke training programme, spending the day out of the office learning a different skill or a team building exercise. 

Share with your team

Creating a collaborative process with your team has wide-ranging effects, and all are positive. When leaders share ideas and updates with their employees, open communication becomes second nature, and everyone feels equally invested in the company’s overall goals and values.

When all ideas are heard and considered, each member of the team feels valued, and ultimately more satisfied with the workplace. Include your employees in decisions and discussions whenever possible, and try to be transparent about the reasoning behind your decisions.

When leaders are transparent about the current health and future goals of the company, employees often have an improved understanding of their role within the bigger picture. This can lead to innovative solutions and problem-solving. Leaders should also promote a culture of continuous improvement where it's common practice for everyone to give and receive feedback.

We think communication skills are incredibly important. That’s why we deliver a comprehensive communication skills course which allows delegates to develop their skills within a practical environment alongside our expert trainers.

Take a look at our four effective communication tips for the workplace!

Listening

In the workplace, it helps to be a great communicator. You need to be able to listen to other people, so that you can understand and help them. Listening will also help you to become aware of what others are thinking. Taking notes and asking questions, are all actions which represent a good listener.

Empathy

As you work within a team, it is important to consider other people’s thoughts and opinions. It’s also a good idea to consider other viewpoints, and understand how people may have acted the way they did.

Patience

It can be tough within a fast paced environment, where often you can feel overwhelmed, however, it is important to practice patience with yourself and with others. Ensuring you communicate properly and clearly is a great way to take a methodical approach to work.

Clarity

It is important to be direct and to the point with people. If you spend too long trying to get your point across, people are less likely to listen to you. Taking notes is a good way to prepare points you want to get across, as being clear in the workplace will ensure that things get completed in a timely manner.

Training your employees is essential to the achievements of any business. As the commercial world is constantly evolving, businesses are required to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in order to maximise productivity and retain customers.

Training isn’t just about showing employees how to complete tasks, it goes much further than this. It also involves increasing the knowledge of individuals and showing people how to apply this effectively and consistently within the workplace.

Below are just some of the reasons to take on development initiatives:

• Increase employee engagement. Training and personal development increases staff retention, helping you to keep hold of your existing employees

• Having highly skilled, knowledgeable employees can help your organisation deliver higher levels of customer satisfaction, ultimately boosting your reputation and helping to secure greater customer retention

• Keep up-to-date. Whether it is training, methods of working or legislation – things continuously change in the work place

• Improve your employees skill set. With this comes additional responsibilities, while also developing their own career progression

• Training gives employees the necessary skills and knowledge to carry out their work to the best of their ability, increasing productivity and quality of work

• Internal training creates a focused environment which enables discussions centred on specific examples and best practice within your organisation. It also strengthens internal relationships

• Training increases the wellbeing of employees and reduces absence, mistakes and stress

• Demonstrate a commitment to staff and invest in them. After all, your staff are ultimately what makes your organisation. Remember that it’s also far more economical to train your existing staff than it is to let them go.