Creating a Mindful and Positive Workplace Culture

What does it mean to have a mindful culture in the workplace? It can mean many things but the central component is that employees feel like they’re respected, cared for and that their opinion is valued. A paycheck is good but it’s not always enough. Here are some key aspects to cultivate and develop a positive workplace environment where employees feel secure and want to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Appreciation and recognition

Everyone wants to be appreciated and recognized for the work they have put in. There is nothing more discouraging than putting your heart and soul into a project and the managers or supervisors don’t appreciate the efforts that were undertaken. This approach is not going to be sustainable because it will make workers want to jump ship and look for other opportunities where they are made to feel like their hard work matters.  

Even outside of the work environment, nobody would want to stay in a relationship where they’re not properly appreciated and encouraged by their partner for the big and little things that are being done. So, if we hope to have a loyal employee base and improve retention we will need to make sure that we are sufficiently and on a consistent basis appreciating the endeavors of the workforce and encouraging colleagues to celebrate each other success and not feel threatened by it.

 According to the Huffington Post, employees that are appreciated work harder and don’t developing a wandering eye. There’re many ways to express appreciation to our workforce and it doesn’t always have to be expensive. Simple things such as:

• Verbal or handwritten thank you note: Be specific in your appreciation. This lets them understand that you took notice about their specific contribution.
• Lunch: everyone likes a free lunch and it’s a relatively inexpensive way to express gratitude.
• Time off: Giving someone a half or full day off can be much appreciated by the employee allowing them extra time to spend with family and friends.
• Monetary compensation: Who wouldn’t love a little extra cast for a job well done.
• Recognition in a company newsletter: This of course would require a significant contribution by the employee, but is sure to make one’s day where their accomplishments are made publicly known.

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