Leadership Development
How to Develop a Happy and Healthy Workplace
You don’t need ping pong tables and napping pods to do it
“Create a thriving staff culture.” This was one of the objectives my supervisor gave me when I stepped into a new leadership role. My eyes got wide with excitement when I first heard this. From the beginning, I had been talking his ear off about ideas I had to make our workplace better. Now, I was finally getting a chance to do it!
I work for a non-profit and the people who work there are generally happy and fulfilled. It wasn’t a toxic environment that needed cleaning. It was a healthy culture that I wanted to make even better.
My excitement lasted all of a day before the concern started growing like a knot in my stomach. I’m a detail and numbers guy; I like things I can measure. The more I started thinking about our staff culture, the more I started wondering, “How do I measure this? How do I know if it’s thriving?”
In search of something concrete, I looked to the trend-setters of workplace environments: Silicon Valley. The over-the-top amenities at some of these tech firms are legendary. From the outside looking in, they seem like more of a college dormitory than a professional office.
I wanted to make my workplace more like Silicon Valley. We didn’t have ping pong tables or napping pods. Our refrigerators were filled with leftovers and sack lunches instead of sparkling displays of healthy snacks. We didn’t offer an on-site gym or free groceries for our employees. These things were tangible.
My excitement was back because with a little spending power and some upgrades to our offices, we could become just like those tech firms. Our staff culture was going to thrive, I was sure of it.
There was just one problem. Well, there were a few problems, but the first one was money. Working at a non-profit, we didn’t have the budget needed to make these changes. Sure, I could have bought a ping pong table or a case of sparkling water, but that wasn’t going to dazzle anyone. I wanted to go bigger.
I felt conflicted when I looked at our staff and then compared our workplace to these paragons of fun. I knew our people were happy and liked their work, but I wanted to provide something more.
I cared about these people. They sacrificed money and prestige to work at a non-profit. They deserved to enjoy their workplace. I wanted them to wake up with smiles on their faces anticipating the day in front of them. I thought this had to happen with a bigger budget and better perks. I was wrong.
A workplace culture, I discovered, is less about the perks and more about the people.
I had created a false ideal in my mind. I looked at the big tech firms and saw how many perks they offered and thought, “If I’m going to create a thriving staff culture, we need to have that stuff too.”
The Silicon Valley companies are pretty hard to walk into if you don’t work there, so I flew to Las Vegas to check out a company that is famous for their staff culture. “What can I learn from them that I can take back to my non-profit?” I asked myself. This place had it all: napping pods, reading corners, healthy food catered free for staff, and even an on-site mini-golf course.
As I was getting ready to leave, feeling demoralized about my lack of budget to make these things happen, I sat down with one of their employees. This conversation changed my whole understanding of staff culture.
She had been with this company for a few years. I wondered how she felt about all of the amenities. With a shrug of her shoulders, she brushed off my question. Then she said something I’ll never forget.
“We all like working here because of the people, not the perks.”
This company had everything I wanted my non-profit to have. That conversation revealed, though, that we already had the most important thing. That was good news for my limited budget, and it’s good news for you too.
If you want to create a thriving staff culture, it’s not just about the perks. It’s about the intangibles (which happen to be free!).
This is even more apparent now with so many people working from home. Without the trappings of the office, the intangibles are all we have left.
Staff culture is about relationships.
If people like their coworkers, the hardest part of creating a healthy culture is already done. You spend the most amount of time with them. If you get along with them, work is going to be a lot more enjoyable.
This is crucial when you think about hiring. Hire for fit as much as you hire for talent. You can teach people technical skills; you can’t teach them to be decent human beings.
It’s not just about the coworkers, though. The relationship between employees and their managers can make or break staff culture.
The old saying holds true: people don’t quit their jobs, they quit their bosses.
If the culture at your organization is toxic, you might have some bad managers. You probably already know who they are. They’re the ones with high turnover rates in their departments or the ones who consistently blame their teams for problems.
Staff culture is about working with a sense of purpose.
One of the best ways to ensure you have teams of healthy people is to inspire them with a sense of purpose. In many ways, a healthy culture is the product of healthy individuals.
Working with purpose creates a sense of fulfillment about your work. It reminds you that the work you’re doing is important.
When you know you’re work is important, it changes your attitude. You spend less time tearing other people down and more time building each other up. You realize you’re on the same team.
When you work like you’re on the same team, your culture improves.
Staff culture is about recognition.
Your team might enjoy working with each other, and they might know that their work is important, but they also want to know that you value their contributions.
You can boost the morale of your team simply by recognizing jobs done well. People want to be appreciated. They devote time and energy to your organization, so they want to know that you see them.
Praise in public, criticize in private. It’s not a new idea, but it’s a good one.
You can create a healthy culture by noticing people’s hard work and praising them for it.
Perks aren’t bad.
One last note. Perks aren’t bad! Maybe you have the budget for a killer break room and a long list of incentives. Go for it! Just don’t deceive yourself.
The best perks won’t overcome toxic relationships. Build a solid foundation with healthy relationships, a strong sense of purpose, and regular recognition.
I left Las Vegas realizing I didn’t need a big budget to create a thriving staff culture. Most of the groundwork was already laid, I just needed an adjustment to my perspective.
A healthy, happy workplace is more about the relationships than the perks.
What about you? What are you doing to create a better workplace for your employees?
