The workplace can be where you spend the majority of your time. Maintaining a positive and healthy environment while at work is therefore critical to your happiness and mental wellbeing. One of the key ways to ensure your workplace is healthy is by having strong relationships with your colleagues. Here are some simple ways you can develop a team-oriented atmosphere and make your time at work more productive and enjoyable.
Social events:
While you may spend a lot of time with your team at work, it would further improve the morale of your workplace to incorporate social events outside of work. Great working teams are those that spend a lot of time together and enjoy each other's company. When people are engaging together in an activity that isn't work-related, it can create a more personal and friendly work environment.
You may consider something simple, such as going out for group lunches or coffee dates rather than eating or taking breaks alone. If the logistics of this are difficult, you could book in a shared weekly or fortnightly meal with your colleagues in the same way you would a meeting.
Team rituals:
Similar to team social events, incorporating team rituals into the working day can help to create a sense of collaboration and comradery. Having daily or weekly rituals can help people to feel more deeply involved in the working experience. Rituals to celebrate success may include rewarding milestone achievements like the end of a project or a quota reached or implementing an ‘Employee of the Month' program. Rituals to build relationships may also benefit your workplace, such as welcoming new employees in a special way or recognising birthdays and other celebrations.
One of the most important motivators for employees is having a sense of fun in the working environment. The best jobs are those that are enjoyable, as the work is motivation in itself. Where there is a positive and collaborative team environment, this will reflect in the quality of work and productivity of the staff.
