What do you think a great workplace looks like? Most people imagine one of the biggest and richest companies with amazing workspaces filled with all sorts of amenities. Employees achieve continuous success via collaboration and all the employees are bursting with happiness and peace. This is, however, quite a distorted image. The best and most successful workplaces are surrounded by many myths and greatness actually mean something else. That is at least an opinion published on the Harvard Business Review website. Which myths should we pay attention to?
1. Everybody should constantly be happy
When people are happy, they collaborate better and are more creative. Many companies therefore focus on how to make their people happy. Satisfaction, however, has its darker side. Once it turns into euphoria, we become less attentive, more trusting and more willing to take risks. Negative emotions should not be avoided at the workplace because they help us focus on the important things and take corrective actions in time. Leaders who want to help their people perform at their best, should therefore be aware that it's not desirable to be positive all the time. It is necessary to find a healthy balance of emotions.
2. Conflicts should be avoided
Conflicts are unavoidable in the workplace and avoiding them may hurt you. In many cases, conflict contribute to better performance. You should only avoid personal conflicts because personal attacks do not help anything. However, focusing on conflicting perspectives can lead to alternatives for the performance of tasks. Hold team discussions and encourage debate about possible ways of improving. People who think that conflicts are unpleasant and do not contribute anything are wrong.
3. We should not make mistakes
To be successful, we must first make mistakes then learn from them. The most successful workplaces are therefore not those that do not tolerate mistakes, but those that offer space for understanding mistakes and discussing them. Do not perceive mistakes only negatively and do not try to avoid them at all costs. Your goal should not be perfection, but continual improvement.
4. Employees should be hired for cultural fit
Companies no longer hire employees solely on the basis of their experience and skills. They are looking for personalities that may fit into their corporate cultures. They believe that if employees share the same values and attitudes, they will collaborate and perform better. This is, however, not entirely accurate. If people are too much alike, they all remain mediocre. You might miss the input from someone who thinks differently and comes up with improvements. It is therefore necessary to look for the right balance of similarities and differences.
5. Workplace should be fun
When you look at the workplaces in companies that have won the most desirable employer's awards, you'll find a relaxation area with various games, a climbing wall, tennis courts and other activities. However, this does not mean that a successful workplace must be a fun park. Employees do not need anything fancy to encourage a great performance. In particular, they need an environment that will meet their basic human needs. They need to be made to feel they are capable and can work independently.
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