Welcome back to our blog series on performance management. We hope that you’re finding it helpful and informative for your organization. Today’s topic is: how workplace positivity can lessen misconduct and ultimately improve performance.
Images of the sterile, grey buildings filled with little partitioned cubicles and serious worker bees dressed in black and grey suits somehow comes to mind when we think of productivity and worker performance. The word “positivity” doesn’t seem to fit well into that picture. We are conditioned to think that images like this represent what it takes to produce good and serious work. However, this is not the always the case. Positivity in the workplace can actually spur performance, innovation, and creativity.
Reports show that employees who feel happy at work do much better than those who are feeling down, stressed, and/or disgruntled. Positive work climates are attainable through the actions of all individuals, but it should start with the organization’s leaders.
Roadblocks to a Positive Work Climate
While the idea of adding positivity in the workplace can seem simple, there are a few common barriers to workplace positivity in some companies. These barriers are:
- Leaders that micromanage and control employees — this tendency among some leaders will not only block positivity, but alienate talented and driven employees who feel at odds and stifled by management.
- A notion that “feelings” are irrelevant to work and that success is accomplished by just getting the job done. Disregarding employees’ feelings can sometimes lead to trust issues.
- A lack of positive role models or individuals that continuously demonstrate positivity in their behaviors and approach to work.
Positive Work Group Climates Can Decrease Misbehavior
Research suggests that the group climate in which employees work can impact their behaviors and affect whether they engage in any misconduct, such as withholding effort or engaging in unethical behaviors. Withholding effort is hard to detect, but is a serious issue for organizations.
How Employees Withhold Effort
- Withholding effort involves purposely not engaging in work-related activities associated with one’s job responsibilities.
- Withholding effort could include neglecting one’s job, relying on other group members to do more than their share, and shirking responsibilities.
- Withholding effort not only affects the individual’s performance, but also impacts other employees who may observe that one person is putting in less effort than others.
For example, one study examined the role of a positive group context on misbehavior within military personnel. They found that employees who reported working in a positive group context were less likely to withhold effort.
They also found that employees who saw a connection between their work efforts and their ability to perform well were unlikely to withhold efforts. Interestingly, they found that employees were most motivated when they saw a connection between their efforts and performance, and their performance and rewards.
Fostering a Positive Group Climate
One way to counter employee misbehavior in this area is to foster a positive group climate by establishing expectations for full contribution using soft techniques such as:
- Fostering an optimistic and encouraging work environment.
- Encouraging positive attitudes toward effort, such as helping behaviors in the workplace.
- Fostering cohesion in the workplace.
- Encouraging peer leadership.
- Managers who are hearty in appreciation for their employees’ contributions.
Another way to encourage full effort is to ensure that employees see the link between their effort and performance.
By ensuring that their efforts will lead to performance (e.g., removing obstacles such as deficient equipment or software, ensuring they have the proper skill set, etc…) and helping employees to see specifically how their efforts will lead to good performance, you can motivate them to put in full efforts.
Work Fun Days
Work fun days may sound cheesy, but when done genuinely, it is a tactic that will help foster positivity. Human Resources can organize small events, such as casual Fridays, special weekday lunches, or celebrating employee birthdays. Also, annual events like sports days and teambuilding retreats are great ways to build a bond between employees. The more employees are familiar with each other, the better they will be able to work together and adapt to change in the organization.
Positive Leaders Make a Positive Work Climate
Another study of government employees also suggested that organizational climates play a key role in whether employees engage in misconduct. Surprisingly, they found that employees in an organization that had highly formalized ethical compliance programs were actually more likely to engage in misconduct!
However, leaders and managers play a key role in determining employee misconduct, regardless of the presence of formal, organization-wide ethical codes or training programs aimed at increasing ethical behavior. Leaders and managers should take an active role in informally encouraging an ethical climate through their words and actions, in order to reduce misconduct.
For organizations to create change it must start with the individuals; only the individuals can change their own personal well-being and positivity. Leaders that demonstrate grace and compassion toward each person they work with will inspire the same attitude in others. It’s about creating a workplace culture that demands civility, and reaping the benefits from this culture. Workplaces should not be dreary, disconnected, “rat-race”/“clock-in, clock-out”-type places, but instead an environment where people form meaningful connections with each other, an environment that is cooperative, and exuding life, work, and productivity.
Join us next week as we look at more strategies to further improve employee performance using performance management techniques; specifically, combating boredom in the workplace.
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