How positivity can be achieved at the workplace?

Positivity at work place is achieved through common efforts put in both by the management and the employees or staff. Attaining positivity at the workplace is the responsibility of management and staff, though formally the management is responsible to ensure that all employees are well motivated to fulfill their tasks and achieve the desired goals of the organization, but yet, every individual employee socially and morally is responsible to practice and exhibit positivity at the workplace. The following are the some of the essential aspects that should be given utmost importance to ensure positivity at the workplace:

1.????? Practicing positive values: Positive values have a large impact to ensure employees remain motivated and committed to their goals. Positive values are honesty, kindness, respect, integrity and sincerity etc. Management shall ensure positive values are practiced by employees in all their assignments. Positive values not only help in gaining the confidence of employees but it also satisfies all other stakeholders such as suppliers, customers, government, bankers, and society in general. Certainly, for any customers’ query an honest reply from employees gives not only satisfaction to customers but it also paves ways in achieving customers’ loyalty. Kindness towards subordinates and any possible help to overcome their difficulties helps the employee to remain ever committed to the organization. Importance of integrity in every task right from top management to the lower management in the hierarchy ensures positivity in the organization. When decisions are made using positive values, they make us feel at ease with ourselves, at ease with others in our immediate environment and also at ease in our larger social environment?(Barrett, p.14, 2014).

2.????? Positive ambiance: Employees enjoy every bit of appreciation from their superiors or bosses, a genuine appreciation from superiors would help them to command more respect from their colleagues. When employees perform better they should be genuinely appreciated for their efforts in contributing to the organization.? Appreciation and mutual respect help to attain not only productivity but also helps in developing creativity in every endeavor of employees’ tasks at organization. Genuine appreciation at organization steers in commanding respect at work and this surely precedes in developing a character of positivity and a congenial atmosphere at work place. Dutton and Ragin (2006) ‘as cited in’ Jacky Swan et al (2016) emphasizes that, “Organizations or departments with a carefully developed and sustained positive atmosphere have achieved extraordinary individual work unit, and organizational outcomes”.

3.????? Excellence as a norm: Excellence should be the norm in every activity and every process of the organization. Employees should be trained to develop a standard towards excellence. Appropriate training will help employees to avoid mistakes at work place and also help them to achieve the desired results with a continuous focus on excellence. When employees render qualitative services there are absolutely no complaints, absence of complaints avoids negativity at the workplace. Absence of negativity leads to presence of positivity.

4.????? Genuine feedback: Appraisals should not only concentrate on transparency but it should be combined with honest opinions of the superiors to their subordinates in a gentle manner. Appraisal feedback provided in a harsh manner by the superiors to their employees causes more harm. Insults, domination and bullying will cause irrecoverable damage. When employees are hurt, they lose interest, they lack motivation in every task, they will develop uneasiness with their boss and this would affect the work and creates negativity at the workplace. Providing constructive, honest and clear feedback would help employees to take feedback seriously and it will help improve future performance of employees (Solomon & Jacobs, p. 115, 2003).

5.????? Flexibility: It is common that every organization undergoes change either in its practices, processes, production or performance. Changes are inevitable to any organization. When changes are incorporated in the organization, there is every possibility that employees would oppose or resist the change. However, if employees are provided with adequate information and knowledge about the changes at organization this attempt will boost their morale & confidence and guarantee their adaptability with ease. Further, the superiors should be flexible enough in helping the employees to learn the nature of work while the change process is initiated rather than reprimanding employees for their mistakes while they are learning, this effort from superiors will assist them in developing adaptable and flexibility characteristics. Employees who are adaptable and flexible are often inimitable and irreplaceable and they are necessary for sustaining organizations amidst the uncertainties and complexities associated with new work environments and challenges (IRMA, 2022 p.1890).

6.????? Compassion towards subordinates: The respect from employees can be commanded by the superiors only when they (employees) are treated with compassion. Every employee has their share of worries related to their personal life. When employees face accidents, illness and other such miseries the superiors should render compassionate behavior with their employee, the one who is suffering with his/her grief. This humane approach of superiors will definitely help employees to remain committed to their organization and remain loyal with their superiors. Samoutis et al. (2023), suggests that “employees who are convinced that they work in an environment which is governed by compassion, tend to perform better in terms of quality of care provided”.

7.????? Congenial Atmosphere: Superiors should focus on providing an atmosphere at the workplace that helps employees to communicate with their boss about their work difficulties without fear. If employees develop a phobia that they may lose the job if they bring any important matter to the knowledge of management or boss, this would result in heavy loss in the long run for the organization. The atmosphere at work should be congenial enough for the employees to communicate with each other and with the management any important matter related to their work. For achieving quality-work-life, the work to be performed by employees need to be studied carefully and a congenial work atmosphere must be provided where the work itself provokes interest and workers genuinely desire to progress on their own (Inda, 2013 p.45).

8.????? Wit and wisdom: a capable boss would not only help employees to attain wisdom with his/her experience but would also help employees to feel that their boss is friendly. This is possible when the boss helps employees to have fun and laughter at the workplace.? Occasional outing to any place of fun would help employees to develop a high energy level and this will contribute positivity at the workplace. Podmoroff (2016) suggests that “Fun and humor are known to be strong healers, and they help people get through the toughest times. It is no wonder that infusing some enjoyment and downright fun into a workplace will liven things up and naturally decreases tension and stress”.

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References:

1.????? Andreas Samoutis, George Samoutis, Neophytos Stylianou, Andreas Anastasiou and Christos Lionis (2023), ‘The Art and Science of Compassionate Care: A Practical Guide’, Page No. 23, Springer, Switzerland.

2.????? Amy Solomon and Karen Jacobs (2003), ‘Management Skills for occupational therapy Assistant’, Page No. 115, SLACK, United States of America.

3.????? Dianna Podmoroff (2016), ‘365 ways to motivate and reward your employees with little or no money’, Chapter-7, Atlantic Publishing Group, London.

4.????? Information Resources Management Association (2022), ‘Research Anthology on Human Resource Practices for modern workforce’, Page No. 1890, IGI Global, United States of America.

5.????? Jacky Swan, Sue Newell and Davide Nicolini (2016), ‘Mobilizing knowledge in Health Care-Challenges for Management and Organization’, Page No. 86, Oxford press, United Kingdom.

6.????? Richard Barrett (2014), ‘The Value-Driven, Unleashing human potentials for performance and profit’, Page No.14, Routledge, New York.

7.????? Shyam Singh Inda (2013), ‘Quality of Work Life-A Comprehensive Study’, Page No. 45, Canadian Academic Publishing, Canada.