For many workplaces, the shift to a new way of operating and interacting with employees happened literally overnight in the spring of 2020.
With nearly our entire team now working in hybrid mode, Unica is no exception. As an All-Star Carrier and Top Insurance Workplace, our success is driven by our office culture and the communication between leadership and the Unica team. When leadership can’t walk the office floor or work face-to-face with their employees, how do you continue to maintain that culture? Here are a few key tips that we’ve used to adjust in the face of this challenge:
- Establish a Culture Committee. Find a group of ambassadors that live and breathe your company culture! Engage them to find ways to promote positive and inclusive interactions amongst all employees.
- Communication is key! Stay in touch with your leadership, team members and intranet news to find out what is happening within your organization as well as the industry to understand the bigger picture of the role you play every day.
- Stay positive. Encourage positive interactions to promote better mental health. There are many ways to try and stay positive! Talk to someone that makes you smile at least once a day. Instead of emailing your colleagues, make a video call or reach out by phone to hear their voice, and confirm these conversations later by email. These are great ways to build relationships and stay socially active.
- Provide words of encouragement and acknowledgment of achievements frequently as this is a powerful motivator. We should all try to practice this at least once a day, the results will speak volumes!
- The workplace doesn’t have to be where it used to be. We learned very quickly that our staff can be productive and continue to service our Brokers from the comfort of their homes if they are provided the tools and technology to do so. This practice should be taken into consideration as well once the world returns to “the new normal.”
- Organize your tasks daily at the start of your day or even the night before. Set realistic goals of 3-5 tasks as this will help you to focus on the ones that need to be completed and allows for distractions or urgent issues to be handled efficiently throughout your workday.
- Education doesn’t stop after graduation. Continue to increase your knowledge and become an expert in the industry by taking online courses internally and externally.
While the shift to new models of working has been a challenge to most organizations, it has also provided a refreshed perspective and pushed workplaces to adopt opportunities for their employees that may have never been present before.
