Ideal Work Environment

Introduction

A great working environment for me is one in which I have freedom to do the job I was hired to do and am trusted by management to get the job done without question. In terms of specific policies and practices that create a cohesive organizational culture, I find that the more defined and clear policies are the better the workplace situation is. Everyone knows what to do and what not to doand when everyone is held to a certain standard it helps to bring out the best in people. In workplaces where policy is muddled or always changing, there is a lot of discontent because people want consistency and they want good reasons for change. People also like to know that management respects them enough not to hover over them or micro-manage everything they do.

Helpful Policies

One specific policy that helped to create a cohesive organizational culture was the introduction of fun into the workplace that the CEO implemented. He wanted everyone to relax and get more creative with their work, so he started company weekends and silly contests during the week to get everyone to develop a shared sense of humor about life and work. The policy was good because it really lightened up the atmosphere and utilized the laughter advantage that Carder (2019) recommends leaders take advantage of to develop the workplace culture. Other researchers have also highlighted the power of humor in the workplace, particularly Greatbatch and Clark (2003), and they point out that it is a good way for leaders to develop group cohesiveness. I find that in my workplace, the introduction of humor as a policy of management has done a great job of keeping people relaxed and joyous, and that has led to a more engaged workplace and one wherein everyone is more respectful of one another and committed to their tasks. Without humor, stress and tension can build up, and our CEO was definitely looking to address that issue with this policy.

Another policy that has helped to create a cohesive organizational culture has been the policy of transparency. During 2020, a lot of us were working remotely, and in order to keep everyone together in a spirit of integrity, the policy was that we all had to be open and honest about what we were doing, where we were working, how the work was going, what our task load was and what priorities we were setting for ourselves. This policy helped to create a culture of accountability even though no one was in the office and no one was having face-to-face meetings with management. We were all linked in together on the Internet at times, but without this policy it would have been easy to let things slip through the cracks. By promoting transparency, we were able to stay informed and help one another in various ways over a difficult period.

Managerial Behaviors

Managerial behaviors that should be common in a great working environment, for me, include demonstrations of authentic leadership, the use of social and emotional intelligence, and openness to what workers have to say. I have had some managers in the past who have said that they wanted to hear from employees about different issues going on in the office but it is...…that position. There is a lot of talent the world over, and when managers are looking to fill a spot by only examining one set of criteria it is really restrictive. Management should engage in blind hiring so as to not limit searches to whether a candidate is of the right gender or ethnicity or age or experience level. What should matter is whether the person can do the job, has good ideas, communicates well, and is on board with the organizations vision. Catering to diversity quotas can impair an organization rather than help it; but at the same time, an organization that refuses to hire outside the box for fear of bringing in different points of view is one that will be stagnant, static and ultimately left behind.

Conclusion

Policies, practices and behaviors that create a cohesive organizational culture include keeping the workplace fun, engaging, and light-hearted; showing trust to workers so that they feel that managers believe in them enough to do their jobs well; and demonstrating a good example of accountability. When leaders are authentic, followers will be as well. It helps too when leaders are socially and emotionally intelligent because then they are going to be more understanding and appreciative of the struggles that inevitably arise. Most importantly, however, an organization should have a code of ethics and it should make sure everyone acts morally in conformity with that code. Workers need ethical leaders and leaders want moral followers. The best organizations are those that are honest and open to diversity and are not just paying lip service to politically correct ideas without appreciating the hard work that everyone does no matter what…