Business

10 Ways to Foster a Positive Hybrid Work Environment

Introduction 

Cultivating a positive work environment is the foundation to any successful business. If you have ever heard the quote “Happy Wife, Happy Life”, it’s pretty much the same idea except work version, like “Happy Employee, Good Productivit-ee?” or some variation of that. When people feel encouraged, accepted and happy, they become more motivated and perform better. A simple yet extremely effective formula to achieve in a workplace. Setting your team up for success, especially in hybrid settings, which let’s be honest, is the reality we live in these days, comes down to the emotional, intellectual, and physical ways you support them. Even the simplest things can create a good and enjoyable work environment, leaving employees feeling like more than just working dogs, but actual valued members of the company. 


Here are 10 tips to creating a positive work environment for your company:


1) Prioritize onboarding and training

There’s no such thing as starting too soon! Creating a positive work environment starts from the beginning when employees are first hired. Especially for those starting their new jobs remotely, onboarding can feel daunting, and if done poorly, can impact retention. Therefore, it is extremely important for managers to create opportunities for new employees to interact and be involved within the company culture. Strategies such as introducing an internal mentor/mentee system can help both junior and senior level employees get to know each other and find common interests. Additionally, implementing team socials, after hiring new employees, whether it be online or in-person, can allow for employees to interact with each other in a stress-free and casual environment which will ultimately lead to creating a positive team dynamic. 


2) Provide a suitable and comfortable work environment

Positive team dynamic is one thing, however, a good physical work environment is a whole other thing. Having a comfortable and adaptable work environment creates a positive work experience with many physical and cognitive benefits. A good work environment goes beyond providing regular breaks, a break room with vending machines, and an annual employee appreciation breakfast. Employees also need adequate support, training, resources and space to perform their job. Mood is also influenced by overall workplace conditions such as safety features, adequate lighting and comfortable temperatures throughout the building. For companies that have employees working from home remotely, it is even more crucial for companies to provide as much support as possible in creating an ideal workspace for their employees.

3) Trust your team members

An essential part of any successful team is transparency and honesty. This requires mutual trust and respect between employees and employers. In action terms, this means that when you delegate, really let go and let the individual own the task you gave them. You can also communicate trust by asking team members to make decisions on their own for their part of the project. At the end of the day, people act the way they are treated, so the best rule to stick by is to treat other people the way you want to be treated. As simple as that. 

Another effective way to generate trust is to see the people you are working from time to time in-person or even on zoom for a virtual coffee date. Having everyone turn their camera on can help everyone feel more connected and part of a team, and helps with clients as well.

To set yourself a part when working from home, upgrade your studio setup so you can look and sound your best in front of all your co workers and clients, allowing for better connection, which can lead to substantial business growth and employee confidence. We are experts at studio setup upgrades and can walk you through exactly what you need based on what you already have, and how to set it up properly (100% virtually) using our Digital Studio Setup package, contact us here to learn more!


4) Listen to EVERYONE'S ideas

Everyone on your team has great ideas, that’s one of the reasons you hired them! Take advantage of that individuality and diversity among your employees and listen to the ideas they bring to the table. Whether it be the newest hire or the longest employee, each brings different experiences and perspectives to the project that they are focussed on. Trust them and allow them to express themselves freely without judgment! Give the good ideas a try; you never know what might happen – other than the fact that the team becomes more invested in their work and the project outcome, for starters.


5) Conduct regular check-ins

It’s no surprise that people who enjoy what they are doing are more likely to do better work. Encourage that by checking in regularly with your employees whether it be work related, or even casual conversation. Having scheduled check-ins on a weekly or monthly basis allows for team members to feel included and involved in the work environment, it also gives managers a chance to review the work that has been done and provide feedback. In terms of remote workers, it’s no question that people get burnt out from time to time when they are sleeping, eating and working all under the same roof. Employees need to know they are being supported beyond the confines of regular 1:1 chats, especially if they’re used to being able to walk over to your desk and ask a quick question. 

6) Create opportunities for learning

Employees thrive on being stimulated and challenged from time to time and this wouldn’t be possible if there weren’t opportunities to learn new things. Providing either online or hands-on learning experiences increases work productivity and overall brain stimulation, which let’s be honest we all need at times. A company can save millions in lost productivity by making sure that employees have access to the information they need to do their jobs.

7) Show your appreciation

This ties in with having trust in your team members. People are often fuelled and motivated through receiving gratitude and appreciation from others. Employers need to make their workers feel like they matter in a way that gives their work a sense of purpose. Meaningful and honest appreciation can be done through creating a simple “shout out” group chat through the company's communication platform to acknowledge the hard work that employees have been putting into a certain project or task. This way, your employees can understand what they’re doing well, and do more of it. When people feel like they’re doing good work, they want to rise to the occasion even more. A simple “thank you” goes a long way. 


8) Protect employees physical and mental health

This is a two parter. Both working at home and working in the office can make people feel fatigued and burnt out at times, providing regularly scheduled breaks and opportunities for relaxation can go a long way. Companies can promote a more positive and relaxed workspace by encouraging employees to take periodic breaks, allowing them to customize their workspace, and organizing a staff outing, picnic or retreat. Additionally, if in-person activities are not a possibility, then sharing various resources with employees so they can utilize their breaks by participating in eye, breathing and stretching exercises to feel refreshed.

Companies should also work to create a culture that encourages employees to talk openly about how they feel, both with their coworkers and managers. Employee Assistance Programmes are a great way to address problems before they begin and create a work environment where employees are happy and healthy. Talking about mental health can also go a long way towards helping employees feel supported and happy at work. Poor mental health can often lead to sick leave, which negatively impacts your business and team. Don’t keep mental health in the closet. 

9) Promote diversity

An essential ingredient to a positive workplace is diversity. Not only does a diverse workforce make it easier to attract your industry’s best and brightest, but it also increases productivity and profits. Employees are naturally more comfortable, which opens the door for creative thinking and innovative ideas. Plus, when employees are happier with their work environment, they’re less likely to spend their time looking for another job. 


10) Be spontaneous and have fun!

Everyone wants to have fun at work — even though everyone defines “fun” a little differently. Fun happens when people feel well-connected with a team where there’s mutual respect, open communication, acceptance of who people are and everyone’s collaborating and working toward the same goal. When teams are working well together, it makes it easier to be spontaneous and have some fun – whether it’s a last-minute Happy Hour on Friday after a project launch, or a brief pause in the afternoon to tell stories and have a few laughs over topics that have nothing to do about work. Sometimes we all need a break from the seriousness of business.


Conclusion

Building high-performing teams hinges on the culture you cultivate, the hybrid work environment you create, and the relationships you build. Company work culture plays such a huge role in their employees lives, so it is crucial to any team that they create and maintain the best work environment they possibly can. And remember, whether you’re a team leader or team member, everyone plays a role in contributing to your work environment.

Written by: Rena Wu

We want to know your thoughts on how your companies have positively impacted your lifestyle, or maybe how they haven’t? Share with us in the comments below!

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Thanks for reading this blog! We hope it was helpful. We are a full service media production studio, and specialize in audio / video production and marketing. If you need help with anything media related we are here and happy to help!

 
 

9 Extremely Effective Social Media Tools for Bloggers

Social media has skyrocketed in popularity over the past decade. As a result, various social media tools are available to help bloggers reach a wider audience and promote their content more effectively.

If you're serious about promoting your blog, you must be active on social media, and there's simply no getting around it. You know that social media is a powerful tool to reach new audiences and grow your blog.  

But with so many social media platforms, it's challenging to get started and know how to make the most of them.

Why Do Bloggers Need Social Media Tools?

There are a few key reasons you should use social media tools for your blog. First, they help you save time by automating or simplifying tasks related to sharing and promoting your writing. 

Second, social media tools can help you optimise your social media activity to get the most out of your efforts. And third, they can help you track your progress and measure your success over time.

Now that we've covered why you should use social media tools for blogging, let's look at the tools out there. There are a number of great social media tools available to bloggers, but some of the most popular ones include Hootsuite, Buffer, and CoSchedule.

These tools can help you automate your social media sharing, track your progress, and measure your success. So if you're looking to get the most out of your social media efforts, be sure to check out one of these great tools. Let's look at the top 10 social media tools that can help bloggers expand their audience and reach.

Top 9 Social Media Tools for Bloggers

To save you time, we've put together this list of social media marketing tools every blogger should use. These tools will help you get the most out of your social media marketing efforts, from scheduling posts to analyzing your social media activity.

Let's get right into the list!

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a must-have tool for any serious social media user. It allows you to manage all your social media accounts in one place, schedule posts in advance, track who's talking about you, and measure your success over time.

Some of the best features of Hootsuite:

  • Schedule posts in advance

  • Track who's talking about you

  • Measure your success over time

Pricing: Starts at $65 per month

SocialMention

SocialMention is a great way to track your brand's online presence. It allows you to see what people say about you across the web, including on social media, blogs, and news sites.

Some of the best features of SocialMention:

  • Monitor your brand's online presence

  • See what people are saying about you across the web

  • Find out which influencers are talking about you

Pricing: Free

InVideo

Perfect social media marketing tool for marketers and bloggers into producing videos, InVideo helps you create wonderful marketing videos in just a few minutes. Users also get access to features like masks, stickers, and vector shapes to make their videos interesting. InVideo comes with an 8M+ iStock library, 3M+ standard media library, and 1M+ premium media library. Users are allowed to export more than 60 videos per month at 720p resolution.

InVideo serves as a sophisticated social media asset management tool. It provides all capabilities to create impressive videos for a vibrant social media presence. 

Pricing: The pricing model allows monthly and yearly subscriptions. The pricing model comprises of 2 plans, $15 for Business(Monthly) and $30 for Unlimited (Monthly) and $180 annually for Business and $360 for Unlimited.

Google Alerts

Google Alerts is a simple but handy tool that can help you keep track of the latest news and information about your topic of interest. You can use it to find out what's being said about your company or product online, get the latest news on a competitor, or stay up-to-date on current events related to your industry.

Some of the best features of Google Alerts:

  • Get notifications whenever someone mentions your brand or blog online

  • Track your online reputation

  • Find out which influencers are talking about you

Buffer

Buffer is one of the most popular social media marketing tools. Like Hootsuite, it allows you to manage all your social media accounts in one place and schedule posts in advance.

Buffer also has unique features, like customising when and how your posts are published.

Some of the best features of Buffer:

  • Schedule posts in advance

  • Customise the time of day when your posts are published

  • Buffer posts to multiple accounts at once

Pricing: Starts at $15 per month

Tweriod

Tweriod is a must-have tool for Twitter users. Tweriod is a tool that helps you figure out the best times to tweet. It analyzes your tweets and followers to determine the best time of day for you to tweet to get more exposure and engagement.

Some of the best features of Tweriod:

  • Analyse your Twitter account to find the best times to tweet

  • Find out when your tweets get the most engagement

  • Schedule your tweets in advance

Pricing: Starts at $19 per month

BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo is a tool that allows you to see the most popular content on social media. It's an excellent way to find new content to share with your followers and help you identify influencers in your niche.

Some of the best features of BuzzSumo:

  • See the most popular content on social media

  • Find new content to share with your followers

  • Identify influencers in your niche

Pricing: Starts at $99 per month

Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a social media tool that helps businesses grow their social media presence. It offers tools to help businesses schedule posts, analyse social media analytics, and manage social media accounts.

Sprout's tools help companies save time and money while growing their social media presence. 

Some of the best features of Sprout Social:

  • Schedule posts in advance

  • Generate reports and analytics

  • Monitor your social media activity

Pricing: Starts at $99 per month

HubSpot's Social Inbox Tool

HubSpot's Social Inbox tool allows you to monitor and respond to social media comments from one central location. It's an excellent tool to keep track of all the conversations about your brand online, making it easy to respond quickly to any comments or questions.

Some of the best features of HubSpot's Social Inbox:

  • Monitor and respond to social media comments from one central location

  • Keep track of all the conversations happening about your brand online

  • Respond quickly to any comments or questions

Pricing: Included with Marketing Hub, which starts at $45 per month.

Canva

Canva is an excellent tool for creating visuals for your social media posts. It's easy to use and has a wide range of templates, so you can create professional-looking images even if you're not a designer.

Some of the best features of Canva:

  • Create professional-looking images

  • Wide range of templates

  • Easy to use

Pricing: Starts free. Upgrade to Canva Pro for $12.99 per month

These are just some of the social media marketing tools available. If you're serious about growing your brand online, it's worth exploring all the options and finding the best tools for you.

Conclusion

There are various social media marketing tools available, each with unique features. These tools can help you manage your social media accounts, track your online reputation, schedule posts in advance, and more.

Each social media marketing tool has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it's important to choose the right one for your needs. Test out a few different tools before settling on one, and make sure to read reviews to get a sense of what other users think. With the right tool, you can make social media marketing a breeze. Thanks for reading!

 
 

The Importance of Creativity in Business

Creativity allows us to view and solve problems more openly and with innovation. More specifically, creativity skills are a key factor in having a successful life as they foster self-esteem and self-worth, and contribute to self-efficacy. Creativity also draws on individual skills and resources such as motivation and drive. Additionally, with the uncertainty of COVID-19, as well as the future, creativity may be more important now than ever before. Having a creative mindset toward your business or the company for which you work may make the difference between success and failure in these volatile times. While typically practical people, business owners can survive this economic hardship — and those to come — with out-of-the-box thinking, and perhaps even discover ways to grow.


Why is being creative so important?

  1. Fast Problem-Solving Skills

    For something to be innovative, there are two requirements: It must be novel and useful. Once an idea is possible, innovation tends to be an easier challenge for more players to achieve. Creativity is the novel step of being the first to identify that something might be possible in the first place. But innovation is the action of putting things into practical reality, despite challenges and resistance, rather than just contemplating. While creativity is crucial to generate ideas that are both unique and original, they’re not always inherently useful. Innovative solutions can’t exist, however, without a component of creativity.

  2. Allows for Innovation

    For something to be innovative, there are two requirements: It must be novel and useful. Once an idea is possible, innovation tends to be an easier challenge for more players to achieve. Creativity is the novel step of being the first to identify that something might be possible in the first place. But innovation is the action of putting things into practical reality, despite challenges and resistance, rather than just contemplating. While creativity is crucial to generate ideas that are both unique and original, they’re not always inherently useful. Innovative solutions can’t exist, however, without a component of creativity.

  3. Necessary for Growth

    One of the main hindrances to a business’s growth is cognitive fixedness, or the idea that there’s only one way to interpret or approach a situation or challenge. Building a creative workplace environment would be the first step to mitigate this issue. Business leaders must understand their workplace environment and company culture in order to foster a creative work environment. 

  4. Boosts Productivity

    Another benefit of creativity and innovation in business is that it helps in boosting productivity. Through coming up with creative ideas, individuals get to work on new exciting projects, which can be an incentive towards doing their best and achieving great things. Business creativity encourages people to give healthy feedback and foster collaboration, it also helps workers feel more appreciated since they get to test their limits and come up with something new.


How to develop a creative mindset?

  1. Don’t Be Afraid to Take Risks

    Taking risks within the workplace encourages innovation, learning opportunities and advantages. Innovation and development of a company cannot happen if you will not accept the risk that your undertaking might fail. The level of risk may be lessened, however, if you make all possible calculations and evaluate which option is best before proceeding to the next step.

  2. Foster Collaboration

    With the onset of rapid growth in the corporate world, challenges have also increased. Tackling it is not an easy task, and in order to do that, you will need collaboration in the workplace. Collaboration allows quick adaptability and enhances performance. A diverse workforce will have individuals with varying thought processes and to promote collaboration, you need to respect everyone’s perspective. Another great way to enhance collaboration is to partner with a media production company who can give you a fresh perspective based on their experience, and help develop content that will allow for business growth!

  3. Maintain an Open Mind

    Maintaining an open mind set goes hand in hand with taking risks. Having an open mindset means being objective when you approach new things, listening to other points of view, and being willing to admit what you don't know. Expand yourself to be more willing to accept new ideas and step outside of your comfort zone.

  4. Encourage Failure

    Mistakes can be some of the most helpful catalysts for growth and learning, both in life and in the workplace. However, many people fear failure, which can hold them back from taking risks or trying new things. Employees are most productive and creative when they aren't afraid of failing or making mistakes at work.

  5. Keep an Active Lifestyle

    Maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps make people happier, less anxious, more resilient and better equipped to problem-solve in the face of hardship. Imagining and creating give us a sense of purpose and allows for individuals to be more mentally and physically stimulated. This will all eventually result in a more productive and efficient workplace. 


Conclusion

Creativity and innovation are extremely important skills whether you’re a job seeker, employer, or aspiring entrepreneur. It is proven that maintaining a creative mindset can be of help in all aspects of life, not just the workplace. Creativity encourages mental and physical stimulation and allows for individuals to be more free with their decisions.

Written by: Rena Wu

Are you able to recall the last time that you were creative? Comment below, we want to hear your responses!

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