Having a positive attitude as it relates to your job reflects well on a company and the culture it embraces. Clients want to work with businesses that are strong internally and will provide the best service possible. A positive company culture, along with a company’s investment in training and development, means the chances are higher that employees will respect the organization they work for and perform tasks with upbeat attitudes. Companies that emphasize a strong culture and a happy remote/in-person workplace provide an atmosphere conducive to improved relationships and communication (internal and external).

Leaders must know how to manage their teams as it relates to improving workplace sentiment. Creating a happy atmosphere, or maintaining one, will allow talented employees and busy salespeople to get their work done without taking hits to their mental health or getting dragged down by a low energy environment. It is important to understand how each of your team members views the office and/or their work from home situation. How do you fuel productivity and develop your team in a manner that allows each of them to carry out company initiatives with passion?

Here are four tips to inspire a happier workforce:

1. Support Worker Health Initiatives.

‍Professionals should be in control of their personal health and happiness. Don’t shy away from conversations surrounding physical, mental, and spiritual health/wellness. Encourage your team to eat a hearty breakfast, drink water, and take short breaks. These habits help clear the mind amidst a hectic day, and they contribute a great deal towards an overall positive attitude. Mutual respect is built if you, as a leader, show interest in the health initiatives of your team (and yourself).

‍2. Study the Art of Happiness.

‍The landscape of the workplace changes over time, and it changed quite dramatically over the past year. It’s important to understand what the current best practices are that lead to happy, successful teams and organizations. What are leading organizations doing differently now? This 2019 report discusses what company benefits are most important, most common, and most appreciated, and explains how benefits can actually make employees happier and more engaged. This article explores workforce trends from 2020 and what they could mean for the year ahead. Spoiler: the first trend looked at is well-being. “Organizations that integrate well-being into the design of work at the individual, team, and organizational levels will build a sustainable future where workers can feel and perform at their best,” states the article.

Studying what generates happiness in other well-established company cultures, implementing it into the workplace, and moving toward creating a better environment are necessary steps when improving the happiness of your team members.

‍3. Communicate with Your Team.

‍Bring your team members into the discussion and get their ideas about what they think would be best for the business and/or best for themselves. If they are unhappy or dissatisfied, they can shed some light on which areas need change, and you can work toward a solution together. Speak with them openly and candidly and remember that what brings happiness to one person on your team may not work for another.

‍4. Empower Your Team.

‍Last but certainly not least, show your dedicated and hard-working professionals that they are respected and valued in the workforce. Work to develop their skills and communication techniques to better their sales approaches and show them how they can be integral to the organization’s overall success. This previously referenced article suggests giving your team more agency and choice in what they do through “defined opportunities for professional development, training, mentorship, project participation, networking, promotion, diversity, and inclusion.”

The workplace is changing. Leaders must learn how to appreciate, engage, and retain their team of professionals. It is crucial to build and sustain a happy workforce, whether in-person or remote. To increase productivity and develop happy, passionate workers, follow these four tips: support worker health initiatives, study the ever-changing art of happiness, communicate with your team, and empower them.