A happy and appreciated team is normally one that’s more efficient and less absent from work. They’re more loyal, more creative when it comes to problem-solving, and they stick around for longer in your employment. Happier workers help their colleagues out three times more often than unhappy ones and they hit their targets 31% more often, with 36% feeling more motivated in the work they do. Happiness in the workplace is vitally important, and it’s partly your responsibility to help your team find their happy.

Share Success

Whether someone ran their first 5k at the weekend or passed their latest training module, use staff meetings or a weekly email digest to recognise achievements and good news throughout the practice. This also builds an important sense of community and belonging which is vital to the happiness of so many workers.

Give Fast and Positive Feedback

Don’t save it for the appraisal – say ‘well done’ or ‘thank you’ at the time for big and little efforts. Your staff face challenging situations every day and you’re not privy to them all, but take the time to recognise when someone has dealt with a situation well or made someone’s day a little better. It goes a long way and costs nothing.

Open Up Communication

Make sure your team know how, where and when to contact you if they need a quiet chat with you about something. Be available in all senses, and try to give undivided attention when you do get to sit down together and talk it over: laptop shut and phone on divert.

Offer Emotional Support

Let your staff know what resources are available to them as employees should they face emotional difficulties or home pressures, including counselling and compassionate leave. And as per above, try to be available emotionally when someone is having a hard time, and see whether there are things you can do in the short term to make life easier for them at work. Letting a receptionist work away from the front desk on a difficult day, for example, is a small gesture that can make a difference. Even offering to make them a cup of tea is a way to show you’re thinking of them!

Encourage Gratitude

Foster an ethos of gratitude and you should see it spread around the workplace. Lead by example, and consider a weekly or monthly nomination process where one employee is recognised for something great they’ve done. This is great PR for good deeds in the workplace and a nice bottle of wine or a bunch of flowers is all it takes to make one person feel appreciated – hardly costly.

Don’t wait till your team needs that pick-me-up. Start now! Let us know how you keep your workplace happy by commenting below with your experiences and advice.