How to be a Better Leader: Improve Your Workplace Culture

Resolutions often focus on becoming more active, spending less time on your phone, or checking items off a travel bucket list – but what about workplace goals? The average American spends nearly 1,800 hours at their job over the course of a year – a staggering. So, why wouldn’t you strive to create a better environment where you spend a significant portion of your day?

In this white paper, we share how to squash office politics, empower your remote employees, and even how to kickstart mental health programs in the workplace to create a healthier, more productive and more fun workplace culture.

Quash Workplace Politics

Know the Ins & Outs of the Organization The first way to overcome workplace politics is to understand different functions of the organization. This means understanding the company’s organizational structure and who reports to who. It’s also important to understand who within the organization has influence. You might ask yourself questions such as, “Who are the true influencers? Who is respected? Who mentors others?”

Embrace Transparency Stress the importance of open communication among and between teams, especially if you manage people. Your team members should feel at ease coming to you with problems they’re having without repercussions. Open communication leads to effective communication which then leads to an efficient workflow. When employees feel comfortable discussing workplace problems with co-workers, it leads to the potential resolution of problems.

Implement a Realistic Code of Conduct Simply having an established definition for what is considered acceptable behavior is a major step in avoiding workplace conflict. Making a system for decision making, encouraging open collaboration, team building, leadership training and development, and careful hiring will all help avoid workplace conflict. It’s important to have clearly defined responsibilities so everyone knows what’s expected from them.

It is equally important to have a clearly laid out chain of to allow for effective communication. In other words, define workplace rules clearly and make it known what will or will not be tolerated. Removing assumptions will drastically reduce the risk of conflict in the workplace.

Don’t Add Fuel to Fire Avoid spreading gossip, choosing sides, taking part in the rumor mill and becoming jealous.

Don’t Take Sides It is vital that employees remain neutral during conflicts, even if you connect with someone more than another. Your position may be a trusted authority figure, meaning that your actions and words have significant meaning. Think about what is best for the company, not for personal satisfaction. Remaining neutral allows you to make great decisions and stay separate from workplace politics. Once a side is taken it is difficult to overcome.

Get Level: Cooler Heads Prevail Similar to remaining objective, don’t lose your cool and become aggressive with someone or you’ll gain a negative reputation for it. This is relevant advice for all workplace situations. If you do not remain cool, your reputation and career are at risk. Even though workplace politics may upset you, staying cool has its benefits. Keeping cool prevents you from saying or doing anything in the moment that you may regret later.

Practice What You Preach: Political Behavior Stems from Leadership Owners and managers influence behavior. If they promote or facilitate a toxic political atmosphere, it may be time to search for a new job. Leaders in the organization must take steps to eliminate political behavior immediately.

How Managers Can Quash Negative Workplace Behavior

• Share the goals that you are trying to achieve and reward those who help achieve them. When the collective goal is clear, it is less likely that people will prioritize their own interests first.
• Keep every employee in the organization involved so no one employee feels more important than another.
• Make connections within the organization and develop strong interpersonal communication between individuals via lunches, happy hours, kickball leagues, etc. When employees are connected and respect one another, workplace politics begin to diminish.

Conflict in the workplace is inevitable, even with the most agreeable personalities. The average American spends well over 2,000 hours at work over the course of a year. When employees of various backgrounds and different work styles are brought together to work on the same project with the same goal, conflict could be a natural byproduct. Not all conflict is bad, however all conflict can and should be managed and resolved. If handled correctly, confronting conflict head-on will result in a stronger culture and closer teams.

Don’t Leave Your Remote Employees in a Lurch

Remote work has become increasingly popular over the last decade as more people look for work-life balance, and it has exploded in popularity even more recently. Some experts believe that nearly a quarter of the U.S. workforce will be remote in 2025. Remote work can provide flexibility for those employees who are more productive at certain times of the day or who need
to pick up a child from school or daycare. It’s proven that remote workers have less stress as they don’t have to worry about commuting into work, what they are going to wear for the day, or office politics.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING YOUR REMOTE WORKERS Here’s what our Society Insurance employees had to say about supporting remote workers:

Employee #1 – “I think it’s most important to make remote employees feel like they’re still working in the physical office. Instead of making remote employees feel like they’re all by themselves in their homes, remote employees should feel connected with the business.”

Employee #2 – “It can be challenging to feel connected while working remotely as you are in your own home with no face-to-face contact with colleagues. Fostering communication with remote workers is key to keeping them engaged and feeling a part of the team and company while working remotely. After working from home for roughly five years, I have learned to reach out to my coworkers via instant messenger or phone to feel connected while working from home. I also have learned to take that quick five-minute break and to step away to recharge. I find that when I work from home I hunker down and work longer without getting up, versus when I am in the office and having a conversation with a coworker or getting something to drink.”

Employee #3 – “Working remotely can be lonely. Being engaged and connected constantly with your coworkers can make it feel like you’re working right next to them. Collaborating with your team through apps like Microsoft Teams sprouts new ideas by bouncing them off one another.”

A flexible schedule is a benefit that will either bring you candidates or make candidates consider another offer. Essentially, remote work has become a permanent fixture in the work landscape. Its benefits for recruiting, retention, and even productivity are hard to beat, but for remote work to be successful in any company, employees have to be engaged. To combat the potential for employees to become disengaged or disconnected, try the following tips for engaging your remote employees.

USE THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR COMMUNICATING WITH REMOTE TEAMS Working remotely or from home is different from in person work in many ways, but perhaps most notably in the way communication is done. In the workspace, you can pop into someone’s office, speak directly to the person across from you, or chat with coworkers at the coffee station or water cooler. However, at home, many of the ways employees regularly communicate are missing.

Help eliminate the friction that can prevent employees from staying engaged by leaning on a variety of communication channels, including: instant messaging (Slack, Microsoft Teams), email, phone and cell phone link capabilities, video options (Zoom, Ring Central).

TRY SOME FUN WAYS TO ENGAGE REMOTE EMPLOYEES Company culture is one of the most important factors for engaging and retaining employees, and will lead to increased performance as well. However, many businesses forget to focus on it after transitioning to remote work. Don’t shy away from scheduling time for team-bonding, getting creative, or other activities that build culture. Don’t know where to start? Try an activity like: trivia competitions, happy hour/social hour via Zoom (or even schedule them in-person if possible), themed attire for department meetings or movie night.

Helpful tips:
Provide the same equipment to remote workers that employees use in the office (if that’s what they prefer). Equipping your remote employees with items like a second monitor, ergonomic chair, or adapter cords can go a long way in keeping them engaged, productive and happy.
Do regular check-ins by instant message or phone to stay connected and engaged with your team. We recommendweekly team meetings where people can ask for help, give updates, and catch up on what’s new in their team’s lives.

Allow remote workers to participate in any activities that on-site workers participate in. Make sure to include remote workers on committees, like an employee engagement committee, to get feedback on what activities they enjoy.

One risk of remote work is that for many employees, the boundaries between work and life become blurred. They may spend far too long in front of their screen, or work later into the evening than they would if they were in the office. These actions can ultimately have a negative impact on your teams’ mental health, and while they may be highly engaged for a while, they may eventually burn out. To ensure your employees are not only taking care of business, but also taking care of themselves, try the following strategies:

• Hold standing one-on-one meetings with team members to stay up to date on their work, as well as if they’re feeling overwhelmed by their workload.

• Encourage employees to take short breaks throughout the day.

• Include mental health and wellness tips and resources in company-wide communications.

• Remind employees they should still be utilizing their PTO. Just because you’re working from home does not mean your job is any less stressful.

Kickstart a Mental Health Program
As the modern workplace continues to evolve, many companies are beginning to see the importance of prioritizing mental health – psychological and emotional well-being. Mental health is currently considered one of the most burdensome health concerns in the United States. Approximately one in five adults have reported a mental illness, and anxiety and depression increased by 25% globally during the first year of COVID, which has made mental health a core focus for businesses and employees alike in the past few years. Whether you’re part of an in-person work environment, or a remote team distributed across the country, mental health needs are important. Businesses that adapt and promote mental health set themselves apart from their competition. It also helps with employee engagement and retention. Here’s how you can prioritize mental health in your business.

WHY MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS IN THE WORKPLACE Managing mental health reduces the risks and costs of employee burnout. Employee burnout is bad for both the company and the employees and should be addressed before it escalates. It’s reported that a
staggering 77% of American workers have high levels of stress with extreme fatigue. Sustained high stress levels can lead to poor decision-making, declining health and aggressive leadership. Once elevated stress reaches a critical point, it becomes burnout. Burnout is differentiated from stress with a few particular symptoms. Feeling tired or exhausted, a lack of enthusiasm, increased negativity towards your job, and decreased ability to do your job are what moves stress into the category of burnout.

Improving mental health benefits and resources increases employee resilience. Resilient employees with strong mental health are better communicators and more efficient workers. Strong mental health allows a person to form and maintain healthy relationships, cope with life’s ups and downs, and have a positive self-image. This, in turn, leads to good communication, confidence in their abilities and increased productivity.

Additionally, offering mental health benefits is a competitive advantage. Top employees will want to work for and stay with companies that support their complete health picture, and mental wellness benefits are becoming a priority in younger generations. A survey from the Harvard Business Review showed that 68% of millennials and Gen Zs have left a role due to mental health reasons.

FOUR WAYS TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE So, now you know why mental health matters in your business. But you still might be wondering how you can promote mental health practices in your workplace. While each workplace is different with unique demographics, these are some proven ways to promote mental wellness. Below we’ve
compiled a list of four ways to support mental health in your workplace:

1. Offer Mental Health Days
Employees who might be distant or preoccupied won’t be as productive as they usually are at work. Even if an employee is having a bad mental health day, they more than likely won’t want to use their paid time off (PTO) to stay home. Adding in an option for this specific type of day off will alleviate employees’ guilty feelings about using PTO because of their mental health and help destigmatize mental healthcare in general. Mental health days can give them the opportunity to heal, rest and sort things out if need be. When they return to work, they will be more able to focus on work with improved morale. Implement an honor system for mental health days with no reason needed to be given. If employees are worried that they’ll have to explain themselves for taking a day off, they may forgo taking the time off, which could be counterproductive. The more accessible and confidential this can be, the easier it will be for employees. While mental health is becoming easier to talk about, many still fear the stigma of being labeled as mentally ill.

2. Create an Employee Assistance Program
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) help employees thrive by assisting them (and their families in most cases) as they address challenges that may be impacting their performance. An EAP is completely voluntary and confidential, giving employees resources such as counseling services, substance abuse services, legal or financial services, and much more. These services are instrumental in helping employees balance work and life.

They can also help employees manage overall stress levels, regardless of life circumstances. You can encourage your employees to take advantage of these services by reinforcing the fact that they are anonymous. Many people fear being judged for needing help or any form of counseling. By reinforcing their right to privacy, they can feel confident enough to seek help for their struggles. Overall, implementing an EAP is a cost-effective solution for employers, making it a practical option to support employee well-being.

3. Encourage Employees to Take Time Off
Getting away and taking time off can reduce stress and burnout. Many employees don’t take their time off because they are afraid to fall behind or feel like they cannot use their PTO, but by encouraging employees to take the provided time off and restructuring the team to ensure projects stay on track, they can remove the guilt of not working. In addition to encouraging
employees to take their paid time off, management should also be taking time off. If they lead by example and show the standard of taking time away to rest and recharge, then employees will follow suit.

Leaders and managers on PTO should be fully disconnected and not responding to emails or joining meetings. Showing how to disconnect from work and making it safe for employees to do so will make it easier for them to take their time off. Employees who take time away from work are more satisfied with their jobs than employees who don’t take time off and also see an increase in productivity and creativity. This helps reduce employee stress and burnout.

4. Reduce Stigma
Regardless of how you promote mental health, reducing stigma is essential. The best ways to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health are by:

• Talking about mental health

• Educating employees about mental health

• Being conscious of the language used regarding mental health

• Acknowledging that mental illness is illness

Stop risk to keep your business going. Find more whitepapers, case studies and safety resources from our risk management team at societyinsurance.com.