What happens when there is a bad atmosphere in the workplace? What are the steps to improve it?

by | Jul 8, 2021 | Communication , Management  | 0 comments

If the atmosphere in the workplace is bad, you will not be able to put much effort into your work. If the situation continues as it is, it will have a negative impact on the company, such as an increase in the number of employees leaving. How can we improve the atmosphere in the workplace? This article introduces the causes and effects of a bad workplace atmosphere and how to improve it for HR professionals.

What causes a bad workplace atmosphere?

There may be times when you feel that the atmosphere in your workplace is bad. So why does the atmosphere become bad? Let’s take a look at three of the main causes.

Lack of trust among employees

When there is a lack of trust between employees, such as between supervisors and subordinates, or between colleagues, the atmosphere in the workplace deteriorates. The attitude of the boss is particularly likely to lead to a breakdown in trust.

If you have a boss who yells at you or gets angry at you for being unreasonable, some of your subordinates will be frightened or unable to keep up. Also, if the boss is arrogant and selfish, communication between the subordinates and the boss will not be good, and trust will not be built.

Target setting is too strict and not evaluated properly

The internal environment, such as strict goal setting and lack of appropriate evaluation, also worsens the atmosphere of the workplace.

First of all, regarding goal setting, there are many companies that have high goals but throw them out to their employees and do not provide concrete action guidelines. If the goals are set too high without any rationale, the employees will lose heart.

There is also the problem of setting goals that are not evaluated based on whether or not they were achieved. If the evaluation only focuses on results and ignores the process, employee motivation will drop and the atmosphere will only get worse.

Furthermore, if the evaluation system is not properly developed in relation to personnel evaluation, it may result in unequal evaluations, such as those with low goal achievement rates being evaluated. Lack of fair evaluation will create inequality, such as not being reflected in salary or position even though they have achieved results, and the atmosphere in the company will deteriorate.

Lack of communication

While misleading or selfish words and actions should be discouraged, too much lack of communication is also not good. This is because when there are fewer opportunities for contact outside of work hours, and less communication among employees, the atmosphere in the workplace will deteriorate.

First of all, if communication is reduced, information sharing will not go well. It will also be difficult for teams to work together to get the job done.

Furthermore, in recent years, with the introduction of telework, opportunities for face-to-face conversations have been decreasing. If you don’t communicate with your colleagues on a regular basis, a small text in a chat or email may cause a misunderstanding.
Even if it is a trivial matter, the gap in perceptions and feelings between the parties involved due to lack of communication can gradually grow larger and cause a bad atmosphere in the workplace.



The impact of a bad work atmosphere

Let us now consider the impact of what happens when there is a bad atmosphere in the workplace.

Could lead to higher turnover

A bad workplace atmosphere can lead to a high turnover rate. The problem is that good employees are leaving the company in droves. Even if recruitment activities are carried out to replenish the workforce, there is a possibility that the workload will not be alleviated because the training cannot keep up with the replacement of new employees, leading to further turnover.

Mental health will be adversely affected

Continuing to work in a workplace with a bad atmosphere is not good for the mental health of employees. This is because the number of people who experience high levels of stress increases in a workplace with a poor atmosphere.

In addition, an increase in the number of employees who leave the company due to a poor workplace atmosphere also places a heavy physical and mental burden on existing employees. This is simply because a reduction in the number of employees will increase the workload of each individual and may lead to an increase in overtime work. When work fatigue is added to the work environment, the number of people suffering from physical and mental illnesses will also increase.

Employee motivation will decrease

When the atmosphere in the workplace continues to be bad, coupled with the lack of proper recognition at work, the motivation of the workers decreases. If the motivation to work decreases, information sharing among employees will also be hindered.

As a result, not only will work not proceed as expected and work efficiency will decline, but it will also become a vicious cycle, further reducing motivation.

How to improve the atmosphere in the workplace

How can a deteriorating workplace atmosphere be improved? Here are three measures to improve the atmosphere in the workplace.

Make it easy to discuss complaints and concerns

I explained that the atmosphere in the workplace will be bad if trust is not built well among employees. The first step in building trusting relationships is to create an environment where it is easy to discuss concerns and worries.

Specific methods include creating opportunities for one-on-one meetings between supervisors and subordinates and adopting a mentoring system. The mentor system, in particular, provides support from someone other than the immediate supervisor, making it easier for the employee to feel free to ask for advice.

Review the personnel evaluation system

An environment where people are not evaluated properly also makes the workplace atmosphere worse. If there is a problem with the evaluation system, it is a good idea to review the personnel evaluation system so that processes can also be evaluated appropriately instead of focusing only on results.

A multifaceted evaluation (360-degree evaluation) is also effective for proper personnel evaluation. In a multifaceted evaluation, not only the supervisor evaluates, but also people from all walks of life, including supervisors, subordinates, and colleagues.

It has the advantage that colleagues can also hear your evaluation and you can mutually appreciate the good points. If we can acknowledge each other, it will help build trust and increase work motivation.

Invigorate internal communication

We have explained that lack of communication also hurts the atmosphere of the workplace. However, simply encouraging people to communicate will not work. Start by creating an environment in which communication can occur naturally.

Specifically, this includes holding internal events, conducting regular interviews, setting up open spaces, and setting up an employee cafeteria. It is also a good idea to introduce internal communication tools so that people can communicate easily.

Goalous is recommended for improving workplace atmosphere

Internal communication tools for improving the workplace atmosphere include the SNS-type goal management tool Goalous is useful. It’s a chat-type tool, so there is no need for standardized text like in e-mail.

It also has a photo action function, so employees can send out information themselves and have other employees react and comment on it. Goalous allows you to not only share information at work, but also to share it in a casual manner. You can not only share information about your work, but also communicate casually.

You can also use Goalous features The open-goal feature is a great way to keep track of the progress and accomplishments of your work. As each job becomes visible, it can lead to proper personnel evaluation.

To improve the atmosphere of the workplace,Why don’t you try implementing Goalous?

Summary

There are several reasons for a bad atmosphere in the workplace. If the cause of the bad atmosphere is a lack of communication, you should try to improve it right now by adopting internal communication tools.

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