Increase Workplace Satisfaction

Your employees are capable of managing their schedules both within and outside of working hours. Providing a flexible working environment that allows employees to get their work done when best fits their lives builds trust and provides autonomy to workers.

Build a flexible schedule by:

• Being supportive of your employee’s working style, including times of the day when they are most productive
• Working with your employees to agree on a preferred, individual working schedule
• Communicating and demonstrating that work/life balance is critical for employees to deliver their best work
• Focusing on the output, timeliness, reliability and quality of the work rather than the minutes on the clock

Help your employees build an autonomous working environment by investing in their development, competence and proficiency. Autonomy can result in higher job satisfaction, motivation and employee retention.

Foster autonomy by:

• Permitting employee control while maintaining boundaries to build confidence in their abilities
• Trusting employees to own their mistakes without fear of being shamed, ridiculed or penalized
• Asking critical, open-ended questions to build problem-solving skills

Recognizing your employees when they do something right provides motivation and builds trust with your staff. Acknowledge and share your employees’ growth and contributions to show their hard work matters.

Provide recognition by:

• Giving praise as soon as you see praiseworthy behavior
• Recognizing employees in their preferred way
• Being specific when giving praise
• Tying the employee recognition back to organizational goals
• Encouraging employees to repeat the behavior

When you do what you say you will, you demonstrate that you keep your word. This builds trust with your employees. In the same turn, grant trust to your employees who do the same.

Demonstrate trust by:

• Delegating tasks and giving employees the freedom to choose how to complete the work
• Encouraging continuous learning and skill-building
• Determining team goals together
• Showing a willingness to be transparent, honest, respectful and straightforward

Transparency promotes authentic interaction and increases trust. Create open lines of communication and demonstrate your desire for genuine relationships.

Demonstrate transparency by:

• Sharing how you feel and what you are thinking in a genuine manner
• Asking staff how they best receive both positive and constructive feedback
• Asking open-ended questions to encourage sharing
• Sharing company performance, updates and goals to ensure employees feel informed and included