The past two years have been challenging for businesses across the world, particularly when it comes to maintaining a positive company culture and keeping workforces connected. With all of this in mind, the need to keep employees happy, engaged, and motivated is more critical than ever.
A survey of 1,000 UK adults, commissioned by RADA Business, reveals that whilst some business professionals have been able to maintain positive relationships while working remotely, many have not.
As well as existing relationships deteriorating, it seems the ability to make new connections has suffered too. 85 per cent of workers say they haven’t been able to make new connections at work or within their wider industry network whilst working from home.
Creating a positive and supportive company culture with two-way communication is key, like every employee, no matter what level, needs to feel connected with their colleagues and build new relationships to support their growth and development.
To help companies strengthen their organisational culture and support employees in building positive working relationships, RADA Business tutor, Conrad Hornby, has shared some thoughts and techniques.
For a lot of us, moving between digital meetings is exhausting. To avoid this digital meeting-induced exhaustion, try keeping meetings to a minimum, or reduce the number of calls and prioritise those where it’s critical you attend. In some organisations, there is a culture of feeling you must show up for every video call. This can cause stress, because the way the technology makes us available can lead us to feel overwhelmed, so reduce attendance or call time where possible.
If negativity is a problem, the only way around it is to open communication. Speak to the individuals involved and try to move towards more positive conversations. Ask them – what do they think they are lacking in their role? What would they like to achieve?
You can also start to move the narrative by encouraging individuals to talk positively about their colleagues. Ask what they do well, what they appreciate, what are their strengths, and how they could be helpful to each other. Without minimising people’s experiences, practice positive reinforcement wherever you can.
Every organisation, and every worker, is likely to be in a different position than they were two years ago, and of course, there is no one way to create a positive company culture. There are a few different techniques to consider for varying workplace situations.
For companies implementing hybrid working.
If you are going to have people in the office at different times, consider setting core days. For example, one day a week where everyone is in, or alternate days for specific teams – whatever works for your organisation.
For chairing a digital meeting.
If you’re chairing a meeting, especially a virtual one, consider yourself the host of a party. If you can create a sense of zestful ease amongst the people in the room, you are more likely to get engagement.
For using positive reinforcement.
When it comes to language, use three positive comments for every one negative. Be as specific as possible – talk about something the individual did, and the benefit it had for the team, client, or business.
When it comes to creating a positive company culture, small changes like these can make a huge difference to how employees feel. And if you want a more engaged, motivated, and, most importantly, happy workforce, then this is the place to start.
