Developing a positive work environment promotes teamwork, loyalty, productivity and higher sales. Creating an environment in which employees feel supported and rewarded through the use of incentive compensation and moral support doesn’t have to be difficult. Read on for ways to improve office life, which can result in higher productivity and sales. Communicate As in all relationships, communication is key. Inside Jobs recommends setting up office-wide meetings to discuss the company’s values, philosophy, mission statement and quarterly goals. These meetings will help to develop an open environment in which employees feel comfortable being around their colleagues and superiors, particularly if a portion of the meeting is dedicated to employee feedback and questions. Team spirit Effectively creating team spirit requires combining many different elements of reward into a daily office atmosphere. Incentive compensation is a method which can be easily controlled, and which can strengthen group morale and comradery around the office. Instead of implementing an incentive compensation program which pits employees against one another to earn a single bonus, try rewarding departments for meeting sales goals to encourage team spirit and communication. A department which is encouraged to succeed together is more likely to come up with innovative sales techniques and to value their colleagues on a deeper level. Be flexible Nothing kills a relaxed work environment like absolute rules and a strict atmosphere. This doesn’t mean that deadlines shouldn’t be met or that employees shouldn’t abide by company policies, but scolding an employee for arriving to work five minutes late isn’t effective in encouraging best behavior. According to Leadership-and-Motivation-Training.com, it is a sign of mature leadership when a supervisor knows when to be relaxed and allow some wiggle room for employees. By being understanding about a worker taking a longer lunch break to go to a doctor’s appointment, or working from home when they have a sick child to care for, an organization shows employees that management recognizes the staff’s worth. Reward employees fairly Without an accountant, company finances would fall apart; without a manager or CEO, leadership would be compromised; without administrative assistants, day-to-day office operations would grind to a halt. If each employee wasn’t valuable to the business, why would they have been hired? The point is, once someone begins at a company, they need to hear that they’re valuable on a regular basis, through verbal encouragement and monetary rewards. High wages alone will not motivate employees to do their best work, but low wages are demoralizing and will certainly not promote high sales nor a healthy work environment. Think about what an employee is really worth and how they ought to be rewarded. While team spirit is important to maintaining a healthy atmosphere, end-of-year bonuses, for example, can be adjusted for individual performance. Bonuses are meant to be private and can include a personalized note letting a stellar employee know that his or her bonus is higher this time around. This can demonstrate that a team member’s hard work is greatly appreciated. It’s also worthwhile to note that end-of-year bonuses shouldn’t be limited to sales employees. Remember the accountants, receptionists and HR employees that make the office run smoothly so sales people can focus on doing their best work and bringing in greater revenue for the company. Figuring out a compensation program can be tough – to save time and frustration, many companies have begun using incentive compensation software to determine merit increases and to delve through sales analytics with ease. Developing a competitive compensation program, communicating with employees and working to build team spirit will lead to a healthier office environment in which employees strive to do their best, and wake up each day wanting to go to work.
