Creating comfortable conditions for your employees should be a top priority for any company. Building a connected team is a mutual effort – your employees use their skills to make the organization work well while you, as the company, agree to compensate them for their work. An enjoyable environment will drive up their motivation and help them reach success.
Mike Holmes, from Holmes on Homes, says "It’s so important to create an environment that encourages your team to come back day after day, year after year. We’re facing a shortage of skilled trades workers, so if we don’t bring in new people, treat them well, and keep them coming back to our work sites, we’re going to feel the effects of that shortage."
In the end, your team must be strong in many aspects, including physically, emotionally, and intellectually. If you can support them in such a way, then their primary focus will be their work. Creating a good environment and conditions of work for your team is not as complicated as you might think; with a little effort, anybody could do it. Here are some of the best methods to get started.
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Focus on onboarding and training
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Make it comfortable
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Check in with your team
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Encourage collaboration
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Help them learn
1. Focus On Onboarding And Training
TIP FROM MIKE HOLMES:
Good team members are given the right tools from day one. I like to have my new crew members shadow the team before they really get down to work. This helps them get to know the job site, plus each pro on the crew.
If you are looking to create a positive work environment, then you must ensure that your main focus stays on onboarding and training. According to research, most new hires (about 17%) will quit in the first three months at their new job if onboarding is ineffective for them. That is why you should provide your new employees with the necessary resources. Teach them about your company’s values, make sure you let them know what they are most needed for, and help them understand what your culture is all about.
If your company cannot dedicate a month to onboarding and training, then make sure that at least the first two weeks are planned out in advance. You could have your new hires on a rotating schedule, involving in activities such as co-worker shadowing or locating important processes within the company. Make sure you educate your newbies on workplace safety rules and regulations and codes of conduct. This will help them understand your company even better.
2. Make It Comfortable
TIP FROM MIKE HOLMES:
Establish a good relationship between the team. Make sure everybody knows everybody. We usually like to celebrate the end of the first day on a new job site with a cold drink as a team and make sure everyone’s ready for the work to come.
Your employees’ workspace should be comfortable enough to make them feel welcomed. The space should be well-designed for physical comfort but also psychological comfort. Here are some tips that might guide you:
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Stop focusing so much on the physical layout. Productivity should be your goal. Set the company’s culture by designing the place in a comfortable, welcoming manner, but don’t get too caught up on details.
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Create flexible schedules, if possible. Let your employees know that you are open to discuss flexible hours. This will create a psychological space for them to feel safe and cared for.
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Keep the workspace clean and organized. A messy exterior results in a messy interior, which in this case, is a messy mind.
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If you can, let your employees get personal. Maybe they want to come up with new ideas – let them and help them foster them! You are the management, correct, but they are making things happen for you. Listen to their ideas carefully and consider them.
3. Check In With Your Team
TIP FROM MIKE HOLMES:
Schedule a regular team meeting where team members are encouraged to bring up issues for discussion.
People who enjoy working will always do better at their job than those who don’t. Conducting regular check-ins to make sure that your employees are happy is the first step towards helping them enjoy their job more. It creates a positive work environment and fosters a comfortable setting. Make sure you ask them for feedback on how the company is run and what you could do better. Ask them for what they need more and less of. Ask them how comfortable they feel. Have one-on-ones with the managers to discuss team efforts and improvements. Be proactive by getting to know them better every day!
4. Encourage Collaboration
TIP FROM MIKE HOLMES:
Connect with all levels of your team to ensure your project comes together with one goal in mind. For my sites, I always include our interior designer in the discussions with my sub trades so everybody’s on the same page, and is working together toward one goal.
Any successful team runs on mutual effort and collaboration, so it is your responsibility to ensure that your team does the same. You cannot always facilitate the atmosphere, but you can at least try to give them the incentive to do it on their own. For more effective communication within team members, you could try:
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Including workers in your big-decision e-mails to make them part of the decision-making process.
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Throw events where you can connect with them individually and personally, and where they could also connect with each other on the same level.
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Make a list of team priorities and delegate jobs to each individual. That way, every worker will know his or her place in the team, so that conflicts can be minimalized or completely avoided.
5. Help Them Learn
TIP FROM MIKE HOLMES:
If someone makes an error, it’s a great opportunity to learn. I like to take these moments to teach instead of tear down. It makes for better, more satisfied workers. I like to think if I wasn’t a contractor, I’d be a teacher.
Last but not least, your employees should be able to constantly learn. If they are not provided with such an opportunity, they will leave your company for another one that offers this option. Make sure that you give your team the right resources to learn and evolve, helping them succeed. You could provide opportunities such as informational and practical learning as well as knowledge sharing, this is just one idea.
Conclusion
Building high-performing teams is a crucial part of your company’s success, so ensure that you are making the best efforts to do so. Start by focusing more on onboarding and training, make the workplace comfortable for your workers, check in with them regularly, encourage collaboration, and give them opportunities to learn and evolve.
Author Bio
Thomas Lanigan has work experience for 4 years as a marketing specialist, assignment writing manager, writer, journalist, and editor. Also, he is a professional content writer in such topics as blogging, marketing features, progressive education programs, business.
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