70% of workers in America are disengaged in the office — are you one of them? It's hard to feel productive, involved in the company, and motivated when you aren't regularly engaging with the culture of your office. Identifying your ideal work environment is a great start to changing that feeling.
A work environment isn't simply defined by the office size or space but also by the interactions with other employees, involvement of management, and communication expectations. Your work environment, whether you are currently employed or looking for a job, isn't always going to be a perfect fit from the start but there should be some immediate glimpse that it will work for you eventually. A culture that is molded around a company vision may not be a home run for you right away but don't be shy if there are some areas that fit your ideal of culture: as long as the company mostly fits the culture that you are expecting, give it a try!
Once you have discovered your ideal environment, you can start taking action to get there.
Communication with other coworkers and your superiors is key to being inspired at work. Choosing to be open with your coworkers about any changes that you would like to make will help you feel more comfortable when taking action. Being able to openly express new ideas and welcome other's talents should start from day one. When an open work environment is encouraged, tasks and even roadblocks will be easier to manage.
You know how I mentioned that being open with others is important? Being available to help your coworkers when they need it is just as important. Teamwork will allow each of you to invest time in each other, as well as the projects and ideas at hand. If you see a coworker struggling with a project or have advice for them, try offering support by offering assistance or thanking them for working so hard. Don't approach the situation with immediate changes or advice on how something should be done, others will generally get defensive doing this and you want to build a good working relationship.
Focus on team building and don't leave out coworkers that you may not often need to interact with. Don't worry if you have an introverted personality, there are still ways for you to converse with one another. Sending words of encouragement or asking questions is a great start!
When you are looking to change or adapt to your work environment, don't set limitations on how to get there. Be open about where you would like to end up and set yourself a plan to get there. Start by having a conversation with your manager about the education and training that you would like to have: open the door for communication about your future right from the start.
Just like a company's mission statement, try making one for yourself. Call it a mantra, a mission, a "why" — anything! Decide why you want this specific job, and why you want to work for this company. Write down your actual reasons for working hard and achieving success. Remind yourself of these things daily and work towards your goals each day.
Once you have settled into your ideal work environment, keep up the pace by making constant strides to a happy workplace. Employees are at their happiest when the culture fits every individual in the company.
