According to Inews, over half of the UK workforce doesn’t feel happy in their current working situation and a lot of companies don't seem to think it is a top priority to deal with. There are however simple things that wouldn’t necessarily cost any money that could make such a difference to how your business is run and seen from an outsider’s perspective.
A pioneer in the field of positive psychology, Martin Seligman created the PERMA model. This business model is spilt into 5 elements that are individually important parts of businesses, but they can come together to help people work towards a life of fulfillment, happiness, and meaning.
Although he has created this specific model, each element can be adapted to work for any type of business. To find out more, click here.
Here at Prestige, we are great believers in positive company culture and the PERMA model seems like a simple yet really effective way to achieve this, especially if it is used in the right way.
Positive emotions
Implementing and working in a positive environment makes all the difference in how your business is run and how your staff work. If something goes wrong it is important to be optimistic and resilient otherwise when your business hits its first hurdle, you are going to find it hard going. If this happens you need to be prepared to come up with new solutions, move forward and be able to regulate your emotions.
Engagement
To engage with people, they need to have clear boundaries and know your expectations so there is no confusion. You will need to have willpower, self-regulation and be a decisive decision-maker, being mindful of situations around you. Your employees need to feel you will support and engage with them in all aspects, be it a pat on the back or giving them constructive criticism.
As long as your staff feels in some way appreciated, productivity will naturally improve.
Relationships
Continuing on from engagement you also need to be able to build real relationships with your staff, as well as being able to recognise and resolve any challenging dynamics. You need to be able to adjust your skills to meet and connect with people in lots of different ways, whether that be face-to-face or online.
Meaning
It is important to implement meaning into your business, everything in life has a purpose and it is vital to be able to build a business that people will want to work for. Expressing humanity and compassion with your employees is important too, as everyone at some stage experiences difficult situations, a good business will understand and support this.
Achievement
You need to visualise every point of your business’s growth, meaning get yourself organised and set realistic goals! By doing this there will consistency within the company and everyone will be on the same page. You will also need to be versatile because almost nothing in life goes to plan, things change and people leave, so be prepared. As long as these things are communicated clearly your employees will feel included and happy.
All of these points complement each other and create a well-rounded formula to ensure you have a happy working environment for your staff. These pathways will ensure employees and your business will flourish, meaning you will be well on your way to success!