Fresh Start: Harness the New Year Momentum to Cleanse Your Toxic Workplace

2017 is almost over and it’s time to leave behind what weighs us down.

The New Year is a great chance to turn a new leaf and create a workplace that’s inspiring for your people. Inspiring work environments will always outperform a workplace that’s filled with toxicity, tension, and anxiety.

As the year draws to a close, it’s time to look back on your achievements and deal with any unresolved conflicts. Here are steps you can take to cleanse any toxic vibes lingering in your workplace and set yourself up for an amazing 2018.

Eliminate Office Politics

Office politics is a major factor in burnout and work-related stress. Researchers at the University of Manchester’s Business School found that employees with a toxic boss experienced lower rates of job satisfaction.

But unfortunately, there will always be some level of tension when dealing with different people. The challenge is finding the core of the issue so that you can find the right compromise. Psychologist Robert Hogan said that the universal dynamics of workplace relationships boil down to three “master motives”: the need to get along, the need to get ahead and finding meaning.

Coach your team leaders to manage tensions within the group to eliminate the drama and enhance employee performance. Encourage your managers to be transparent about any issues within the team and channel competitive urges into outperforming the competition, not each other.

Make Room for Reward and Recognition

Everyone's excited to shut down the office and start celebrating. But before you leave for your well-earned holiday, take a moment to thank your employees for a job well done and set a shared mission for the coming year.

While working with a number of large communications, technology and healthcare companies, Fortune collected data that showing that 72% of highly stressed employees report having low connection to their work. On the flip side, they found that people are less stressed and handle pressure better when they have a high sense of purpose and drive toward a shared goal.

Don't let your people end the year feeling stressed or uninspired. A simple team or one-on-one meeting is all it takes to get them excited for what's to come.

Prevention Is Better than the Cure

According to the Mental Health Foundation, 1 in every 6.8 people experience mental health problems in their workplace.

Make sure to check up on all your employees before you break for holidays, and commit to doing this more regularly moving forward. Instead of waiting until incidents happen, introduce risk-assessment questionnaires and workplace interventions such as employee screening and care management for people suffering from or at risk of depression.

These small, important steps could save businesses up to 8 billion per year.

Want to make 2018 happier and healthier for your employees?

Contact us today at [email protected] or 0207 100 0762 and learn how you can give your entire staff anytime access to best-in-class GP's and mental healthcare specialists for as little as £3 per month, per employee.

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Written by Rebecca Johnston