Last Updated on April 28, 2020 by Dave Schoenbeck
Being a part of a professional community means there are certain workplace rules and expected behaviors applied to its members. In fact, these are crucial in creating an effective working environment.
That said, many of us still fall into an erroneous trap of assuming our team automatically knows what to do and how to behave when it comes to communicating with their colleagues and customers. Consequently, we tend to ignore the power of establishing workplace rules.
If you’re looking for ways to improve the quality of work life for your employees, here are the key benefits of having well-developed workplace policies and procedures.
1. Higher Performance
You’ll stand a better chance of getting an A in a math class if you have a clear idea of what to study, what not to study, and what your professor is looking for when grading the assignment. Likewise, teams perform better when they know what you want as well as the style and tone you expect.
2. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanagement leads to low productivity, increased turnover, and complaints. Workplace rules are a touchstone that allows owners and executives to avoid micromanaging and save time. Employees and managers can use the set guidelines to make their decisions without continually depending on senior managers’ advice and permission. This gives them a sense of responsibility, entitlement, and pride in their work.
3. Focus on Outcomes
When the team embraces workplace standards effectively and understands their roles within the organization, they are able to use their own skills and abilities to do their work with minimal reliance on supervision. This means leadership can stay focused on building the business, driving profitability, and strategic efforts.
In addition, if your company is undergoing a significant organizational or leadership change, having workplace rules will help mitigate employees’ concerns and offer them protection from breaches of employment rules, allowing them to concentrate on delivering quality work.
4. Getting Workplace Rules and Team Rules Right
When writing workplace policies, clearly define your guiding principles, behavioral expectations, company vision, and core values. You can start with a list of how your employees should act when you aren’t around. How should they treat each other? How should they treat your customers? What team rules can’t be violated?
Once you’ve established workplace standards, it’s even more important to make sure your employees are aware of your expectations and recognize them before they have a chance to break any team rules. Keep in mind that your hard work will go to waste unless you get this step right.
Effective communication is the key to ensuring your staff understands the rules as well as the consequences of failure to follow them. Provide training and orientation for new hires, send periodic reminders about workplace practices (we all tend to forget things and make mistakes), and keep your employees updated every time you add or change any policies and procedures.
In short, think of well-developed workplace rules as what sets you apart from other organizations. They can significantly boost employee productivity, improve customer satisfaction, and drive your company forward.
Need help growing your business? Sign up for a complimentary coaching session with me. It’s totally free – no gimmicks. Just fill out the contact form!
- Thought Leaders Are Trustworthy and Curious Influencers - April 25, 2024
- How to Elevate Your Business by Improving your Open-mindedness - April 18, 2024
- Why Listening is Important for Effective Decision-Making - April 11, 2024
