8 hacks entrepreneurs need to instill the best work environment at their startup
When it comes to driving your startup to success, you need both a strong vision and a positive environment that will help you realise it. Many startups have a good vision, but what makes a few of them stand out is their approach towards achieving this. To forge ahead, a startup must ensure that a positive culture which encourages employees to put in their best efforts prevails. Here’s how you can achieve that.
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Encouragement
The power of speech is irreplaceable. A good company needs a leader who motivates employees towards positivity and lends a supporting arm when they are not in good spirits. Talk to them, congratulate them on the good work done and encourage them to keep doing their best. Such a personalised bond enhances the performance of an individual.
Communication
A successful leader is one who knows his team inside out. It is important to maintain the WE factor in the startup. Habits like dining together and fun team building activities help employees get closer. Provide space for clear communication and transparent feedback between them so that everyone stays on the same page.
Merry minutes
Thanks to passionate and busy work schedules in a startup, sometimes people forget to relax. A good startup should always consider the notion of ‘merry minutes’ where an employee can spend quick leisure minutes indulging in his hobbies. Take a hint from last year’s Anne Hathaway-starrer The Intern. Hire that masseuse.
Comfortable workspace design
VISA Founder Dee Hock rightly says: “Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it.” A startup requires a clean and innovative design that reflects its talent pool. Employees are more productive and focused when they have a comfortable workspace, complete with cosy furniture, an eye-pleasing range of wall colours and a good stream of natural light.
Flexible routines
Don’t overload your employees with work. Specify a suitable time limit for completion of work rather than forcing them to spend the entire day at a desk. Let your content writers loop around coffee shops or galleries and come out with foolproof ideas. Make employees feel that they can enjoy a personal life just as easily as their bosses do. It is always noted that when employees are able to enjoy a flexible work schedule, they are likely to work better.
Whoopee weekends
Do you remember your school days? How different recreational activities made us sharper and smarter in academics? The idea is simple. Fun is a gun which can be used to knock out all the negativities around. Take your team to a lively place or conduct some convivial events, like Yoga Saturdays, at the workplace itself to help release stress.
Phrasing inspiration
Be it on a wall or a whiteboard, write an inspiring thought for every new day. This will help employees remain motivated to achieve your vision and be on track. Keep it funny instead of profound and make it easily relatable to your team. A happier team works faster and is more efficient.
Say thank you
At the end of every day, find time to sit together and appreciate your team. A day well spent brings greater energy for another one to come. Make it a point to say ‘thank you’ to each other.
You are going to need some great talent for your startup, they are going to be working only for startups with a better environment. If you cannot be that, there is a good chance that you will miss out on some great people joining your company.
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)
