A guide to humanizing your workplace

Working in an office space means you encounter people on a daily basis. Traditionally, work life was associated with being mechanical but times are changing. It is becoming an essential part of the future of the workforce to have a more human approach. But it is easier said than done, with everyone having their own daily routines, even within a collaborative roof, it sometimes gets difficult to interact with others in the workplace. But changes could start within us and there are a few low-effort elements you can incorporate at an individual level to get started on humanizing your workspace.

Why humanize workspace?

One of the first things we have learnt is the fact that human beings are social creatures. It is human nature to connect with others, whether it is on a professional or personal level. This is one of the fundamental reasons to humanize workspaces. Any institution is composed of people and it is essential to the existence of the organization that its people work together and are powered by trust and understanding. Post covid-19, humanizing has become even more essential as people were isolated for so long, human touch can enhance interconnectedness at the workplace.

How can you humanize your workplace?

• Acknowledge the people around you — We encounter many people within our office on a daily basis and each of them are going through something personal that others are unaware of. So take some time to acknowledge their presence and if possible, stop to let them know that their actions are much appreciated.
• Add a personal touch to digital communication — Simply adding a personal touch to your otherwise direct communication can go a long way. Something as basic as “have a nice day” added to your signature can impart a human element to the work you do. Also it might be something that can make someone’s day a little better than it was before.
• Break bread together — Group lunches are a way to get to know your fellow workers and it is when you understand where they come from that you can work more effectively with them. Sharing something apart from work can increase the camaraderie between people of the same team.
• Ask your colleagues how they are doing — a simple but powerful question to ask your team members in a meeting setup as everyone comes with their own mindset and before you set on to accomplish bigger tasks, it is important to address personal issues that might interfere with work productivity.

So what are you waiting for? Be the change that you want to see around you and add a human touch to the work you do. Small gestures could make huge impacts and can go a long way when it comes to humanizing your workspace.

Taking some time to appreciate the people around you and acknowledge their contributions to your own productivity while also trying to contribute to their day are baby steps that one can implement to humanize workspaces on an individual level leading to a larger impact on the organization.