Business growth: the importance of a good work environment

According to the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific Regional Office, “a healthy work environment is a place where all people work together to achieve a joint vision of health and wellness for workers and the community”. This provides all members of the workforce with physical, psychological, social and organizational conditions that protect and promote health and safety”. This way, a company’s growth depends on the efforts that the staff members make in order to achieve certain objectives.

Every time a company decides to face new challenges, new objectives are identified. In order to achieve the expected results, there must be a relationship between them and the strategies to be implemented, but many times the implications that this entails for the staff are not taken into account. Although there are many ways to assure the balance between work and personal life, and most of them are established from the start, usually these are very poorly sought after.

In Mexico, many innovative startups and organizations focus on the well-being of their workers because they are aware that human development is essential for the internal and external growth of any company; however, there is still a long way to go for this to become a reality for the entire working population in the country.

A satisfactory work environment must consider constant improvement to promote the physical and mental well-being of managers and employees, but it also should provide a suitable workspace, as well as a good organizational culture. Companies must establish at least the basic conditions to guarantee their staff’s physical and emotional health, as well as their economic stability, but also provide the tools needed so that each individual can continue developing their skills and abilities.

You don’t need an expensive infrastructure in order to improve your work environment in a meaningful way. Here are some simple actions to get you started:

Encourage communication

Establishing communication channels at all levels of the company is very important to maintain harmony among all workers. This includes correctly conveying the most sensitive messages from senior management all the way down to employees.

Clearly define tasks and responsibilities

It may sound obvious, but lack of clarity in this area is more common than it seems. Having a well-defined organization chart and activities per position contributes to a better organization and to avoiding burnout due to excessive work in the staff.

Encourage staff participation in community activities

A company is a small community. Maintaining close ties between all workers is a way to keep it healthy and productive.

It is also important to consider sharing the company's values and extend them to the families of the staff members to really change the community. For this, it is important to promote initiatives that generate an impact on social issues, such as caring for the environment and gender equality.

An optimal work environment is a priority that will enhance individual and collective development, improving the quality of life of those who work in an organization. Empowering a company's workforce will help improve productivity and achieve short- and long-term goals. In contrast, a negative work environment will have consequences such as low productivity, lack of motivation and commitment, as well as risks for mental and physical health, which have a direct impact on corporate development.

The health emergency caused by Covid-19 showed us the importance of caring for our business’ collaborators. Mental health has become more relevant than ever before and many companies have acted accordingly by listening to their staff and promoting best practices. It is important not to forget these lessons to improve as organizations as well as society.