Making a Healthier, Dynamic Work Environment

There’s a lot of discussion about divisiveness across many segments of American society. Ironically, “us vs. them” debates are also fostering a notion of sticking together…a key component in the workplace where millions of Americans spend so much of their daily lives. Regardless of beliefs about politics or a myriad of other topics, creating a cohesive work environment is more critical and potentially challenging than ever.

Large offices, floor layouts with cubicle divisions, and areas separated by departments that rarely if ever interact can leave staff feeling disengaged from co-workers they pass every day. Sparking a sense of camaraderie helps make work feel more welcoming, and that can be critical to both worker happiness and productivity.

Dr. Bill Morrison of The Globe and Mail recently cited research in positive psychology identifying “key conditions essential for building healthy and effective workplace environments” that directly affect employee well-being and how he/she thrives.

The first of those conditions ties directly to that “sense of ‘relatedness’ or connectedness among employees,” according to Morrison. Simple greetings and friendly exchanges help “people gain a sense of positive connectedness” and that can translate into a family-like support system. Work results tend to be better and more people feel better about their involvement.

How to connect staff in work environments that tend to be otherwise anonymous? Something as simple as your office name plates can help put a name to a face. Addressing individuals by name creates a sense of belonging and makes exchanges more probable: starting with “hello” is more easily accomplished by name identification.

When workers see one another as nameless drones, office morale and a sense of teamwork can suffer. NPBR Desktop Name Plates in Silver or Black Borders can help break the ice, or a slanted look in NPAA Glass Green. Several exceptional Name Plate options are now available!

Keeping your work team cohesive is important…especially when you consider that some people spend more hours in the office per week than they do with their own families!