Happy employees are productive employees

Workplace culture is often considered an obscure aspect of managing people; one that too often isn't handled as a priority.

This perception is confusing as it has been indicated time and time again that culture can affect employee motivation and performance, and productivity as a result. Studies have shown that when employees are genuinely happy, they are more engaged, and from their increased drive, rising profits in the long term can be achieved. The key to happiness in the workplace is to create, and maintain, a positive and resilient environment that allows your employees to be engaged, to find value in their work, and thus foster innovation.

Here are six tips you can implement in your organisation to create a positive workplace.

1. Show gratitude.

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful, but it goes beyond simple thank-yous; it's about fostering an atmosphere of appreciation. People who acquire an attitude of gratitude will experience higher levels of meaning and wellbeing in their lives. The more you can cultivate this positive emotion the more you can broaden your thinking and build optimistic habits. Our programs are designed to embed this ethos within the fabric of organisations. By implementing structured recognition systems and personalised appreciation initiatives, leaders and teams can acknowledge the unique contributions of every member, thus reinforcing a culture of gratitude and enhancing overall wellbeing.
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2. Being mindful.

Being mindful is being present in this time at that moment and its a skill anyone can learn. Every day the average person loses focus at least 47% of the time and there is a huge opportunity to train ourselves to be more mindful so that we can gain more emotional control and have sharper memory and recall which ultimately leads to more productivity. Mindfulness is a powerful tool for improving focus and emotional equilibrium. Expanding on basic mindfulness practices, we suggest incorporating regular training sessions and dedicating spaces for meditation and reflection. These initiatives not only deepen employees' mindfulness practices but also significantly reduce stress levels, leading to increased productivity and improved job satisfaction.

3. Focus on strengths.

Strengths are what come naturally to us and allow us to perform at our best. They are hardwired within our DNA. Understanding and applying one's strengths can dramatically enhance job performance and personal satisfaction. Our Flagship series offers workshops and tools that enable employees to identify and utilise their strengths in everyday tasks and collaborative projects. This strength-based development approach energises the workforce, fostering a more engaged and resilient organisational culture. Research shows that people who identify and use their strengths on a regular basis are more energised, less stressed, more engaged and have a great feeling of wellbeing.
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4. Think optimistically.

Optimism is about being able to see the rocks in the road and believing you have the skills to navigate a path around them. Its a myth to believe we are born either pessimistic or optimistic and research shows that we can train our brains to be optimistic just like we can learn to drive a car.

Optimism is not an innate trait but a skill that can be nurtured. Training sessions that focus on cognitive behavioural techniques can teach employees how to reframe challenges as opportunities, fostering a growth mindset essential for success. This is an integral part of our programs approach to instil an optimistic outlook throughout your organisation, preparing your team to navigate the inevitable rocks in the road with confidence.

5. Embracing failures as learning opportunities.

In the quest for a positive workplace culture, resilience stands out as a key trait for teams to develop. Resilience—the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties—is not just about bouncing back; it's about growing stronger through the challenges faced. Emphasising resilience within your team involves a paradigm shift where failures are not seen as setbacks but as invaluable learning opportunities. This perspective is crucial for fostering a culture where innovation and creativity are encouraged, and risk-taking is seen as an essential part of progress.

Our programs, such as "Leading Psychologically Safe Teams," are designed to instil a sense of resilience by creating an environment that supports open discussion of failures and challenges. By normalising these conversations, we help teams to dissect what went wrong, learn from each experience, and apply these lessons to future endeavours. This process not only strengthens the team's resilience but also enhances their problem-solving skills and adaptive capabilities, making the team more robust and agile in the face of future challenges.

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6. Celebrate success.

Finally, when you get success you need to have an environment that celebrates it.
The importance of celebrating success in building and maintaining a positive team environment cannot be overstated. Recognising achievements—both big and small—plays a critical role in motivating teams, fostering a sense of accomplishment, and reinforcing the behaviours that led to those successes. However, the foundation of effective celebration is a psychologically safe team environment where members feel valued, supported, and encouraged to share their contributions and achievements.

Recognition and appreciation of your employee's success can build motivation and fulfilment. It can also strengthen employee relationships.

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At The Oranges Toolkit, creating a measurable culture that is built around optimism, resilience and change behaviours is essential in how we operate. These 6 simple tips can help you in creating a positive work environment, which can lead your employees to feeling engaged and valued, allowing them to have purpose and meaning in their job, which ultimately leads to happiness and productivity.

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