Creating a positive work environment involves establishing relationships built on trust and open communication, recognizing employees' successes, fostering cooperation and inclusion, and fulfilling intrinsic needs through challenging work and learning opportunities. To maintain a positive environment, organizations should identify potential risks like lack of support, low job control, poor work-life balance, and change management issues. Leaders can take actions to measure these risks, develop knowledge and skills, implement plans, and review progress by listening more to employees, communicating expectations clearly, providing recognition, and helping solve problems.

1. Creating
a
Positive Work Environment
By Michelle Bernardo

2. What is a positive work environment?
• Relationships: positive, open and trust.
• Communication: regular feedback on
performance.
• Recognition: celebrate progress and recognize success.
• Cooperation: information and resource sharing.
• Inclusion: involvement in management decision making
giving employees the opportunity to share their ideas.
• Intrinsic needs fulfilled: challenging work and
continuous learning.
• Free from discrimination and
Harassment.

3. Possible Risks:
• Interpersonal conflict/bullying
• Support (encouragement & recognition)
– Lack of reward/recognition (coworker & supervisor)
• Low job control (worker input into work) and
high work demands (e.g.workload, work pattern)
• Poor work/life balance,
– Poor stress management (work & home),
– Poor self-care (physical & psychological)
• Change (communication and preparation)

4. Where to start:
• Determine what risks are present
• Identify highest risk areas
• Measure employee’s outcomes
• Link them to corporate objectives
• Develop leaders’ knowledge and skills
• Plan actions
• Implement
• Review and evaluate

5. What can leaders do more of?
• Listen to employees’ opinions
• Communicate clear expectations
• Give recognition and praise
• Provide learning and development
opportunities
• Help find solutions to problems
• Defend direct reports