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Why Is Time Management Important In The Workplace?

Why is time management important in the workplace?

Improves performance
Ensures work is delivered on-time
Reduces stress and anxiety
Lessens procrastination
Creates high-quality work
Helps achieve work-life balance

Time is one of the most valuable resources any company has and yet many in our teams fail to use it wisely. More often than not, this problem stems from the fact that many team members don’t understand why time management is important in the workplace, and how this quality can benefit both the company and themselves.

To help you understand why effective time management is an ability that every company looks for, here are eight ways it affects every job under the sun:

Improves performance

When you know how to manage your time well, then you’re more likely to perform better at your job.

This is because you’re able to budget time effectively for every task you need to complete and know which tasks are more urgent than others. This, in turn, helps you create a comprehensive schedule to help you achieve your tasks on time.

When you have a schedule to follow, you’ll be giving yourself more than enough time to finish your task and avoid time-wasting distractions along the way. Instead, you can dedicate your time to the important task in front of you. As a result, your performance should improve.

Ensures work is delivered on-time

Keeping track of deadlines can be difficult, especially when all your tasks start to pile up. If you’re not careful, you can easily miss one, which could be disastrous for you and your team.

But, if you’re conscious of your time management, you’ll have a rough idea of how much time each task might take for you to complete. You would also consider how much time it would take to deal with unexpected challenges.

With that in mind, you could allow enough time for each task and if you follow your schedules to a T, then you can deliver your work well before the deadlines your managers have set.

Reduces stress and anxiety

People often become stressed and anxious because they know their work is piling up in front of them, and yet they don’t have enough time to complete it all.

Dealing with this kind of stress daily could affect your overall health, so time management is not only crucial to doing your job well but also to keeping you in your best shape.

With time management skills, you can keep track of your work, complete tasks on time, and avoid all the unnecessary stress and anxiety in your professional life.

Lessens procrastination

Procrastination is a common side effect of having poor time management skills. It’s also easy to procrastinate if you don’t have a plan or clear instructions to follow. But, you can lessen procrastination if you can set a routine for yourself to follow at work.

This can be done by building up your time management skills and being aware of what tasks are time-sensitive. By managing your workload, giving yourself goals to meet, and being strict about your deadlines, it’s easier to focus on your work.

Creates high-quality work

In any workplace, high-quality work is something every team wants to produce. And, as an employee, you have a responsibility to deliver work of a certain standard. Time management can help you meet your team’s expectations by helping you properly allocate enough time to produce high-work work.

As we mentioned, you’ll be able to create a schedule that gives you more than enough time for each task you need to complete. And, it’ll also help you prioritize work, so you can focus on making quality outputs without distractions. As a result, you’re more likely to produce excellent work and finish it all within the required timeframe!

Helps achieve work-life balance

When was the last time you were able to clock out from work and immediately jump into your hobby or leisure time? If you can’t remember when then you should know that time management is the key to achieving the work-life balance you need.

With good time management skills, you’ll be able to get all your work done on time, which means you can do the things you can enjoy without worrying about upcoming deadlines or unfinished tasks. Ultimately this helps you to create the perfect balance by accomplishing your goals at work in less time and having a reward of your choice in your free time.

Key Takeaway

Time is one of the most important resources that any company has. This is why time management is important in the workplace. It’s an essential employee skill and one that is highly valued at any company. Being able to quickly achieve goals, produce high-quality output, and meet deadlines are all effects of good time management skills.

Author’s Note: This entry was optimized by the best SEO Services Agency in the Philippines – SEO Hacker

How To Avoid Toxicity At Work

How can you avoid toxicity at work?

Prioritize training
Encourage open communication
Walk the talk
Recognize and reward
Don’t play favorites
Empower people to deal with conflict
Focus on your work
Practice how to confront
Accept your limits
Create boundaries in your work-life balance

It’s no secret that happy employees are key to having a great, productive workplace. And yet, it’s difficult to create an environment where employees genuinely feel happy to work. One of the biggest hurdles is workplace toxicity, which is, unfortunately, a common reality for many offices. There are many factors contributing to this workplace problem. If you want to know how to avoid toxicity at work, follow our tips below:

How to avoid toxicity at work as a leader:

As a leader, you are in the best position to not only avoid workplace toxicity — but make the right changes to create a more positive, happy workplace. Here is how to prevent toxicity from affecting your team:

Prioritize training

The first step to creating a good workspace is giving your team the tools they need to succeed from the get-go. Prioritize their training from the moment they onboard, and make sure they have people they can rely on for help and guidance as they adjust to their new role. Also, be sure to outline your expectations and their responsibilities clearly, so they know what role they are meant to play within your team.

Encourage open communication

Always encourage your team members to practice open communication with each other. This is important even for seasoned team members. Maintaining honesty and consistent communication with your team will help build up trust amongst yourselves, and will also ensure that everyone is updated on potential problems and conflicts.

Consider having regular check-ins with your team. Try to avoid speaking too much about work, and instead focus on getting them to express their thoughts and feelings about their workload and job expectations. You can also encourage them to share ideas, which allows them to engage with your management process and makes them important contributors to the success of the business.

Walk the talk

Even leaders have to follow the same rules, culture, and practices that the business expects of its team members. That said, it’s important to walk the talk. If you want to have kind team members, then you have to be a kind leader. The same thing goes for every value you’re trying to instill into the company culture. Hold yourself accountable to the same standards as what’s expected of everyone else on the team.

Recognize and reward

If you see your people dedicating their time and effort to provide excellent performances, then give them the recognition they deserve. Doing this encourages them to keep up the good work, and makes them feel more appreciated at work.

Say “thank you” to those who do their job well, provide incremental rewards and bonuses for consistently good performance, and also promote those who exceed expectations — it’s an excellent way of rewarding those who go the extra mile.

Don’t play favorites

Avoid favoritism at all costs. Doing this can alienate one team member while leaving the others feeling underappreciated. It can also foster negative feelings between team members, which we want to prevent.

The best way to do this is by celebrating their diversity. Know what each member contributes, what parts of the job they excel at, and so on. Then, value them for their unique talents, their strengths, and the effort they put in. Be sure to show this to the whole team, so no one feels unseen by their leader.

Empower people to deal with conflict

Finally, give your people what they need to deal with internal conflicts the right way. If they know how to manage conflict, have productive and clear conversations about the problem, and know-how to avoid harassment and discrimination, it’ll reduce the risk of workplace toxicity greatly. Take the time to establish training sessions, and regular meetings with team members to discuss how to troubleshoot conflict positively.

How to avoid toxicity at work as a team member:

As a team member, you also play a role in preventing workplace toxicity. The best way to avoid a build-up of it at work is:

Focus on your work

It’s important to know when to stand your ground during a disagreement with your teammates. But, if you’re engaging in a power struggle, set that aside for now. It’s better to focus on your work and avoid pointless arguments over small spheres of influence that lead to nothing.

Practice how to confront

There will be times when the work environment becomes tense. When it does, it’s essential to find a balance, and avoid adding fuel to the fire. Consider the points and solutions you want to make for the situation if you’re involved.

Try to avoid heating things up by complaining, blaming, or being too emotionally charged during discussions. Run through your contributions ahead of time to help you form a well-thought-out argument and feel more confident, ultimately helping you be more effective in your delivery.

Accept your limits

Your mental and emotional state can also inadvertently contribute to workplace toxicity. So, be sure to know your limits, accept them, and don’t burn yourself out trying to surpass them. Know that some things are simply out of your control and that no amount of hard work can change some problems. For example, some teammates may not be willing to listen, or you may be going against processes that you have no room for maneuver on, or you lack information to make the best decision for your tasks.

Create boundaries in your work-life balance

Likewise, the best way to protect your mental health is by establishing strong boundaries between your personal and professional life. It’s one thing to vent about a bad day at work — it’s another thing entirely if it’s consuming all of your thoughts and conversations in your free time.

It’s not healthy to dwell on office conflicts and problems that are out of your control for too long. Try to find a balance between venting and de-stressing from work, and focusing on positive things when you clock out from your job. It gives you some time to relax — and overall, you’ll start to feel better about the obstacles you’re facing at work.

Key Takeaway

There’s a lot of work to be done to create a happy, productive workplace. Following this simple yet effective guide on how to avoid toxicity at work will do wonders in preventing toxic behavior from becoming a trend in your office. In turn, you’ll create a culture and a company that’s better equipped to reach its goals.

10 Common Mistakes In An Online Interview

What are common online interview mistakes?

Not checking your camera, mic, and internet connection
Staring into space — or at yourself
Being surrounded by distractions
Waiting till the last minute
Talking over your interviewer
Not paying attention to your clothes
Having a messy or dark background
Forgetting you’re on camera
Moving too fast or erratic
Not practicing beforehand

Ever had to take an online job interview as part of your job search? Even if you haven’t yet had the chance to experience it, you will soon — with all the post-COVID-19 changes in the world, online interviews are here to stay. Every day, more and more recruiters are opting for this tool to make the recruitment process more efficient. But as with anything new, many people experience difficulties and commit many blunders during this process. If you want to avoid that, then here are ten common mistakes in an online interview. Knowing these will help you present yourself much better on screen:

Not checking your camera, mic, and internet connection

Struggling with your laptop, mic, camera, and even WiFi during your interview can spoil the flow of conversation and make things awkward. There’s maybe nothing worse than being cut off in the middle of your answer because of a spotty connection. So, it’s essential to take time to check everything before hopping into your online interview.

Most conference apps, like Zoom and Google Meets, will have built-in testing capabilities for your mic and camera, so be sure to check there.

When you enter your interview, you should ask if the interviewer can see and hear you properly. Likewise, check if you can see or hear them properly before proceeding with the interview. This is the best way to ensure your meeting will go smoothly.

Staring into space — or at yourself

Looking bored and staring into space can make it seem like you’re unfocused on the interview. On the other hand, people also tend to look at themselves in online meetings. But, doing either one can give a bad impression and may even be distracting for your interviewer. Make sure to always maintain clear eye contact with the interviewer. You can either directly look into the camera or the interviewer on the screen. This creates the feeling of direct eye contact.

Being surrounded by distractions

When having an online interview, make sure you choose to have it in a space that is free from the day-to-day distractions of your home or office. That means staying away from ringing phones, other people talking, or other activities that go on in the area. You can also ask your roommates or your family to give you some quiet and privacy during your scheduled interview. This may prevent them from being noisy, or disturbing you during the online interview.

Waiting till the last minute

It can sometimes take a few minutes to get connected to an online conferencing app for your online interview. Avoid waiting till the last minute to click on the link and join the call, since it’s likely that you’ll connect to it past your agreed meeting time. You also don’t want to be rushing around at the last minute, which can negatively affect your focus and composure.

Talking over your interviewer

Even with great WiFi, there will be a few delays here and there while you’re conversing with your interviewers. Such connection delays make this mistake very easy to commit — even if you’re aware of it. The best way to avoid doing this is to wait for a few seconds after your interviewer stops speaking before giving your answer. Doing this will ensure you’re not interrupting them, and can also be used to think over your answer carefully before speaking.

Not paying attention to your clothes

Though your online interview can be done in the comfort of your home, be sure not to get too comfortable. After all, you wouldn’t wear just some shirt or your pajamas during an in-person interview. So, the same rule should apply to an online interview. Always make sure your interview clothes are appropriate and professional. Try to look your best!

Having a messy or dark background

Likewise, the area around you during your interview should also look appropriate and professional. This is important, as your interviewer can see what’s behind you. Make sure your background is neutral with minimal distractions. And, make sure you have adequate lighting. You can use either natural light from a window, but you can also supplement this with ceiling lights and lamps.

Forgetting you’re on camera

How you present yourself plays an important role in any kind of interview. But, the tendency of many is to forget that they’re on camera, and their posture and body language suffers. Remember not to relax so much that you begin slouching, touching your face, or other inappropriate behavior. Always keep a proper posture to convey your professionalism.

Moving too fast or erratic

Having a job interview can be a stressful experience — we get it. But, it’s important to remain relaxed and composed. Speaking or gesturing too quickly or erratically can make communication confusing between you and your interviewer. And, this can become even worse if your connection starts lagging. So remember to answer slowly and carefully, and make sure to allow for any potential time lags in the audio.

Not practicing beforehand

If you’re new to online interviews — or just interviews in general — then you should get in ample practice before the real thing. Set up an online meeting with a family member or friend, and try to simulate the experience of a real interview with them. This way you can practice answering reflections, and get some feedback on your performance. Doing this will help you feel more prepared in front of the webcam.

Key Takeaway

Improve your chances and make a great impression on a potential employer by knowing the common mistakes in an online interview. This article may just help you polish your online interview skills, increase your confidence, and make the process that much easier for you.

5 Benefits Of Working In A Quiet Environment

What are the benefits of working in a quiet environment?

Improves your ability to concentrate
Better for your mental health and wellbeing
Helps with the creativity process
Creates a sense of calm
May boost productivity

Today’s modern work environment offers different environments to the benefit of the people working in them. But if there is one environment quality that every office or workspace needs, it’s some peace and quiet. Many office spaces have been designed to offer quieter areas to work in, but why is this quality so important for every office? Let’s explore the possible benefits of working in a quiet environment.

Improves your ability to concentrate

One of the main reasons why maintaining a tranquil and mostly-silent space in the office is it’s critical for concentration. In the modern world, it’s common for us to be exposed to a barrage of sound all at once. Phone notifications, traffic, and even noisy office appliances all create the constant hum of background noise.

What we now know is that these noises can impact our ability to concentrate. In fact, when sounds reach around 80 decibels, your focus will almost always be hampered. A quiet environment with minimal background noise is best when you need to concentrate on the work in front of you.

Better for your mental health and wellbeing

Noise doesn’t just have an impact on your concentration, but also on your mental health and wellbeing. Hectic environments full of excessive or prolonged noises can trigger a stress response in your brain. This is why working in noisy areas can make someone more irritable, emotionally sensitive, or withdrawn.

This can affect your ability to think straight, which can make you feel even more stressed. Workers who are annoyed by consistent noise may even feel resentful or dissatisfied with their work experience and environment.

Helps with the creativity process

Quiet and creativity go hand in hand. Most creative people find that being able to shut out elements of the outside world, including noise, puts them in a state of improved creativity, increasing their chances of developing new, interesting ideas. Some of the best creative work just happens when you can focus on brainstorming and your craft. Studies show how important a quiet environment is to the creative process.

Creates a sense of calm

When you struggle at work, you may have difficulty staying calm and composed. But, this becomes even more difficult when your brain is met with tons of external stimuli, such as loud noises.

When working in a quiet office space, you have a better chance of tackling your stress. You can quickly disengage from the situation, and acknowledge and analyze both your work and mental state. As such, you’re able to address the problem much easier, which can significantly improve both your emotions and workflow.

May boost productivity

Interruptions, such as all the notification sounds that come from your phone and laptop, or noisy, distracting office mates are such a commonplace problem in the workplace — it’s even accepted as a simple fact of life. This can be a big issue, however, when you or your team need to get your heads down and complete an urgent task or project.

But these interruptions are too hard to ignore since these sounds can disrupt your thought process. As a result, you may find you take longer to finish your tasks when you’re working in a noisy environment. But, by simply moving to a quiet working space, you’re able to keep your attention on your tasks and work on them with improved efficiency — increasing your productivity multiple times over.

Key Takeaway

Even though some level of noise is unavoidable in modern society, the benefits of working in a quiet environment may be the key to productive and enjoyable work life.

Need somewhere quiet and peaceful for you and your team to work? Check out Workplays — the best coworking space in BF Homes, Aguirre. Contact us today, and we’ll get back to you on our offers, and can even help you schedule a visit!

5 Signs Of Stress At Work

What are the signs of stress at work?

Mood swings
Becoming withdrawn
Less motivation, initiative, and creativity
Headaches and fatigue
Skin problems

Almost all employees work hard at their job. At their best, they can do what they’re being paid to do really well. But as the stress levels go up, some employees start performing below what they’re capable of. And it’s usually those who don’t detect the signs of stress at work that get affected badly.

Sometimes, we got so engrossed in our work that we don’t notice how much it’s already affecting our bodies, our minds, the output that we produce, and even our relationships. That’s why we should know the signs of too much stress so we can address them properly.

Here, we talk about some signs that you should look out for at work to know if you’re getting way too stressed. Keep reading to learn more!

Mood Swings

Have you had to deal with an irate coworker? Cut them some slack. Maybe they’re experiencing more stress than they can take. One of the biggest signs of stress at work is if they start having mood swings even if they normally don’t.

Stress can easily overwhelm us, and it could translate to being irritable or snapping at people. You could also become too emotional. Do you become tearful at small things? Do you suddenly get aggressive? Maybe it’s a sign of excessive stress. This not only affects productivity, but also the morale of the rest of the team, so it’s best to address this problem right away and take some time off.

Becoming Withdrawn

In addition to the occasional mood swing, you might find yourself being withdrawn when you’re too stressed. Everything becomes too tiring and even interacting with your teammates could become too much for you. When was the last time you chatted casually with a coworker? Have you recently turned down anyone who tried to start a conversation with you? Try checking yourself and assess if the stress is getting to you.

Less Motivation, Initiative, and Creativity

The double-edged sword of stress will also affect how much you want to work. As mentioned earlier, it can affect the amount and quality of your work, no matter how competent you are. If you don’t handle stress well, you could notice that you no longer enjoy what you are doing or that everything seems monotonous.

Headaches and Fatigue

Stress can definitely affect our physical health in more ways than we realize. Getting too stressed at work could lead to headaches, sometimes even migraines. If you’ve been popping a painkiller pill for your headache a bit too often recently, it could be caused by stress.

Excessive levels of stress would also leave you feeling tired all of the time, especially if you’re losing sleep because of work.

Skin Problems

Because of stress, your skin could develop disorders. Developing an acne breakout because of stress is more common than you think. The problem with this is it could affect your self-esteem as well, pushing you down the negative spiral even more. To avoid getting these disorders, try keeping yourself healthy and managing your stress so it doesn’t affect you too badly.

Key Takeaway

With all these signs of stress at work, you would be surprised when you experience them but don’t notice them. They creep up at you and you’ll see in hindsight that it should have been obvious. Still, being aware of the signs and being vigilant towards yourself helps in preventing any worse effects.

Sometimes, a change of setting is all we need to do our work without external stresses. That’s why Workplays, a co-working space, aims to create an environment that’s conducive to working. We cater to freelancers, startups, small businesses, and anyone else who needs a new place to work. Read more about our pandemic protocols and answers to frequently asked questions here, or contact us for any inquiries!

3 Tips For Your Home Office Setup

What are some tips for your home office setup?

Dedicate a room for your home office
Prioritize ergonomics
Don’t forget the lighting

If you’re planning to work from home for good, then it’s a good idea to invest in your home office setup. You wouldn’t want to suffer from back pain and strained eyes because you’re working on the couch with dim lighting. Think of it as investing in your health, comfort, and productivity. Keep on reading to learn about the tips for home office setup!

Dedicate A Room For Your Home Office

The first thing you need to do is to choose a room where you can work. You can’t continue staying in your bed or the living room because these are not conducive to working. You will easily get tempted to take a nap or get distracted by your family members.

When picking a location for your home office, it’s better to choose a room that’s separated from the rest of the house. This way, you can have a dedicated room for working that is free from distractions. Try your best to only use the space for working — by eliminating TVs, gaming consoles, and the like. This way, you can focus on getting your office tasks done.

Prioritize Ergonomics

Experiencing frequent body aches when working? It’s time to put away the dining chair and try to find an ergonomic chair that will support the right posture. Look for height-adjustable chairs with built-in lumbar support when you’re shopping.

When sitting, you should be able to keep your shoulders and back straight and relaxed. Your arms should be bent in an L shape while typing or using your mouse. Other than that, your feet should be flat on the floor and your knees aligned with your hips.

When working on the computer, the top of the screen should be at eye level, an arm’s length away. You can invest in an office desk that can provide ample space between you and the monitor. And don’t forget a monitor riser if your monitor is below eye level. Some remote workers also opt for sit-stand desks which allow users to switch between sitting and standing during office hours.

Don’t Forget The Lighting

If it’s possible, it’d be best to work in a room with windows, so you can let the natural lighting in. Not only will it help provide illumination to your home office, but it will also provide plenty of health benefits! This is because when you’re exposed to sunlight, your body produces vitamin D. This sunshine vitamin promotes healthy bones, supports your immune system, is important to your brain and nervous system’s health, and many more.

If your home office doesn’t have any windows, it’s a good idea to add the right lighting to illuminate the space. When there’s not enough lighting, your eyes are forced to work harder — causing eye strain and headaches. Besides that, it also leads to drowsiness and difficulty focusing on work.

Key Takeaway

Follow these tips for home office setup, so you can create a dedicated space that is conducive to working! By investing in the right items, you can get more work done without having to suffer from body aches and eye strain.

Author’s Note: This entry was optimized by the best SEO Services Agency in the Philippines – SEO Hacker

3 Effects Of Overtime On Productivity

What are the effects of overtime on productivity?

Negative health effects
Safety issues
Higher absenteeism

It is alarming to see many workers today work beyond their given working hours, and sometimes they’re even proud of it. There are many reasons why overtime should not be encouraged, as even employers will feel the negative effects it may have. More importantly, one of its greatest casualties is productivity. The effects of overtime on productivity should make it a priority problem to be addressed.

It’s tempting to go the extra mile and work overtime especially if we have a lot of things to get done. However, those efforts are not as effective in the long run. Here, we’ll talk about some possible ways that overtime can affect your productivity. Keep reading to learn more!

Negative Health Effects

The most obvious effect of overtime is the way it can impact our health negatively. Rest is an essential part of our life. It should be considered as important as food and water as we can’t survive without them. Working overtime will surely have negative effects on your physical and mental health. Too much work can lead to overfatigue, burnout, body pains, depression, and other ailments that would stop you from working anyway. Because of these, your productivity will drop in the long run. The most productive version of yourself is the healthy version of yourself, so if you want to get more done, take care of yourself, take a break, and don’t overexert your efforts.

Safety Issues

For some jobs, working overtime can also bring about safety issues. This applies even more to largely physical jobs or workers who work with powerful machinery. As humans, we all have our limits. The more time we spend on the job, the more exhausted we get. We become less attentive, physically weaker, and have slower reaction times. If you work overtime, the effects might be worse for you, making you more prone to mistakes. And if you’re a worker at a nuclear plant, a construction site, or a hospital, these mistakes could lead to catastrophes such as fatal accidents.

Higher Absenteeism

This is another example of the paradox of going overtime to get more work done. If you log extra hours to extra work, the fatigue will eventually get to you. And if you experience burnout, it wouldn’t be easy to shake, leading to a higher absenteeism rate for you. This applies even more if you get a bad physical health condition. Instead of risking your health for extra work, try managing your time better instead of giving too much for one thing.

Key Takeaway

Overall, the effects of overtime on productivity are negative. In fact, they show that you even be less productive in the long run. You would be exposed to health and safety issues which would lead to absenteeism and turnover rates going up. That’s why we advise you to avoid overtime as much as possible.

One way to get work done without having to go overtime is by doing it in a conducive working space. At Workplays, it is our mission to provide a good co-working space for workers, startups, or small businesses. Read more about our pandemic protocols and answers to other frequently asked questions here, or contact us for any inquiries!

3 Tips To Improve Motivation

What are some tips to improve motivation?

Take a step back
Use rewards wisely
Find a positive group

One of the golden rules that I found to be more useful than expected is to never forget my humanity. What I mean is that no matter what, I’m still human and could make mistakes. I say this because I also realize one of the biggest motivation killers is a perfectionist attitude. A worker could be so motivated for months, but that motivation disappears once they make their first mistake. Others find it difficult to find motivation in the first place because of the fear of imperfection. To help you, we’ve compiled some tips to improve your motivation that might help you get back on track.

Motivation may be a difficult thing to attain for you, but let us help you by showing you a different perspective on things. Keep reading for more of our tips!

Sometimes, when we find ourselves deep in the hustle, we get too close to the fight and lose sight of the bigger picture. As we look forward, our attention focuses on how far we are from the goal, and we forget to check how far we’ve come from the starting point. That’s why it’s important to try taking a step back when you lose motivation.

A part of acknowledging your humanity is learning about your limits. You need to take a break every once in a while, and you can use this chance to review your progress and accomplishments. Ask yourself again, what have you accomplished? How much have you done for this goal? Seeing our progress is often a good motivator. After that, you can continue and set new goals for yourself.

Use rewards wisely

Many people fall victim to the misconception that rewarding yourself when you’re doing good is enough to motivate them. Unfortunately for those who believe it, our minds are more complicated than that. There’s a chance that the more we reward ourselves, we’ll lose interest in the task itself and focus on the reward.

The best thing to do is look for intrinsic motivation, or motivation from within, instead of extrinsic motivation that comes from rewards. Though sometimes, a combination of both is needed. A good way to use them wisely is to use extrinsic rewards at the start, when you’re getting used to the habit or task, and slowly remove them as time goes by, when intrinsic motivation is enough.

Find a positive group

Humans are social creatures. Even the most introverted people still need societal integration, just less than an extrovert would. Finding a positive group with the same interests and goals as you is a good way to bolster motivation. This is because you become surrounded by people working on the same road as you, giving you more reason to work and not fall into the trap of demotivation.

Key Takeaway

These few tips to improve motivation are only a fraction of what you can do for your motivation, but even this is enough to make a big difference to your work. Taking a step back, using rewards wisely, and finding a positive group to be with should be part of your steps toward motivation.

If you want to work in a space where you’d be surrounded by motivated people, try Wokplays! We are a co-working space for freelancers, startups, small businesses, and other workers. Share our space with other workers to get motivated! Learn more about us here, and contact us here for any inquiries!

How Remote Work Affects Company Culture

How does remote work affect company culture

Enhance feelings of isolation
Influence work relationships
Introduce cultural differences

Working from home has plenty of benefits for the employees and the company. There’s the opportunity for work-life balance, less commute stress, and location independence. On the other hand, businesses can save on rent, electricity, and other expenses while getting work done. But WFH also has its fair share of drawbacks as well. In this article, you will learn how remote work affects company culture. Keep on reading.

Enhance Feelings Of Isolation

Humans are naturally social creatures, so they are hard-wired to connect with other people. At first, employees might find working from home more convenient because of the freedom they gain, but working without seeing their co-workers can make them feel alone — introducing feelings of isolation that they’ve never felt before.

Isolation can negatively impact stress levels and decision-making. Because they feel that they’re alone, it can make difficult work more overwhelming. Loneliness can lead to other things — such as depression, sedentary behavior, and more.

To combat the feelings of isolation in remote work, employees can change where they work periodically. The library, coffee shop, or co-working spaces are places where they can see other people and feel part of a community.

Influence Work Relationships

Remember that work is one of the places where most social interactions happen. This is where work collaborations and social ties are often established. When employees work mainly at home, interaction with co-workers became limited to chats, e-mails, and occasional calls.

But team spirit, the feeling of family, and friendship are factors that affect employee performance and loyalty. And this could only be achieved through meaningful connections with co-workers.
Fortunately, business owners and leaders can turn this situation around by investing in activities that bring the team together. Video meetings are also helpful in keeping team members more connected. It’s also recommended to facilitate get-togethers periodically.

Introduce Cultural Differences

With remote work, the hiring process isn’t limited when it comes to location. This is advantageous as companies have more access to talent. There will be employees from different backgrounds, so it is also natural that there will be cultural differences in the workplace. This can broaden the employees’ horizons and make remote work more interesting.

But there will also be cultural differences that might make remote work more challenging. This is where developing cross-cultural awareness becomes more important than ever — compared to a normal office job.

It’s beneficial to be proactive and do some research when working with someone from a different culture. A strong work ethic in one culture might not apply to another. Communication is also key, as the way one speaks can translate differently depending on the background of the receiver.

Key Takeaway

Remote work has provided plenty of benefits for employees and companies, but it changed the dynamics in the workplace. By knowing how remote work affects company culture, both leaders and team members can proactively find ways to reduce problems that could affect work. Good organizational culture leads to a happier workforce and a successful company.

How to Retain Employees During COVID

What are some ways employers can retain employees during COVID?

Create a safe and comfortable working environment
Be flexible whenever possible
Encourage new connections between employees
Make employee wellness a priority

Managing employees has always been tricky for employers, but as the pandemic drags on, it is apparent that one of the most prominent problems for companies everywhere now is how to retain their employees despite the COVID unemployment crisis. Adding onto that, the workforce now has new demands and expectations when it comes to their working environment.

Luckily, with many companies shifting their priorities towards flexibility, technology, safety, and transparency, there are many new ways for employers to overcome this problem. Below are 4 practices you can integrate into your office’s day-to-day in order to boost employee retention – all while keeping your employees safe from COVID and working remotely at home.

Create A Safe And Comfortable Working Environment

An employer should consider the safety of their employees beyond the usual physical safety protocols. Even while working at home, creating a safe and comfortable online working environment for everyone is important. In fact, one can say that it is of greater importance nowadays to make sure your employees don’t feel isolated in their work. Instead, they should be able to feel that they are part of a healthy and supportive environment, where they feel that they can work to the fullest.

This may be difficult as working remotely may make your employees feel disconnected from the working environment. So it is important to emphasize communication and transparency between teams and management. Open communication helps cultivate the feeling of a safe and comfortable working environment even during a crisis, where employees don’t have to worry about their job security, or other issues such as gossiping, secrecy, or cyberbullying.

When this type of working environment is created, employees tend to feel more secure in their roles and are less likely to consider other employment options.

Be Flexible Whenever Possible

While ‘flexibility’ in the workplace became a hot topic at the beginning of the pandemic, it is more complicated than just merely shifting to remote work. Flexibility in work may look different for everyone and depends on the expectations of the employees and the capabilities of the employers.

Flexibility for some employees may mean changing their work times in order to accommodate other responsibilities to home and family, while another employee may consider flexibility to be what apps they are allowed to use when communicating with their teammates.

Since there are many ways that employees can consider flexibility in their schedules, responsibilities, and procedures, it is important for employers to communicate with them in order to establish boundaries, guidelines, and rules around flexibility in order to keep everyone on the same page. This also allows employers to take into account new ways to ease workflows between employees, as well as increase productivity and overall happiness.

Encourage New Connections Between Employees

Like with most things about working in an office, the pandemic has restricted the social interactions that employees used to experience on a daily basis. If your team is working remotely, it may be hard for them to socialize, particularly with new hires. Nowadays, many social connections have to be done with more intention and planning than before. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but employers should make sure to encourage these connections

It’s important to reintroduce the social aspect of work virtually. This can be done by incorporating activities such as online games, icebreakers, and even planned company meals over ZOOM during workdays in order to help your employees bond, give them a sense of belonging, and allow them to destress after work.

Make Employee Wellness A Priority

While working remotely allows many companies to ensure that their employees are staying physically well, employees’ mental wellness is something that was negatively affected, which was particularly apparent at the beginning of the pandemic. When considering employee wellness, employers should also pay attention to their mental state and how their employees are dealing with remote work.

Regular check-ins with employees and teams are one way that employers can check on their employee’s personal situations. A simple “How are you doing?” is an underrated way of showing your employees that they have a support system they can rely on when they are struggling. Following this question up with sincere acknowledgements, empathy, and sympathy are great ways to further enforce their trust in that support system.

Other than that, making sure that your employees are given enough time to destress and recharge before their next day of work is a simple way of helping them maintain that mental wellness. Encouraging your employees to take rest when needed with things like paid time off helps them prioritize and take care of their wellbeing without worrying about the consequences.

Key Takeaway

The pandemic has highlighted many previous problems for employers and has pushed many to reconsider the ways that they communicate with their employees. Learning how to retain employees during COVID, in particular, is something that has concerned many companies well into the pandemic.

Employers should not overlook their abilities to innovate and improve employee engagement. In order to retain employees, employers should pay extra attention to the needs of their employees while keeping them engaged and happy with their roles in the company. When employees’ needs are met, retention becomes less of an issue.