I know some if not all of the people who’s been in the commercial industry has been infected with the corporate stress virus. It’s very infectious, airborne maybe. The cycle goes as when the target goal isn’t hit, the proprietor will nag the directors, the directors will pester the managers and the managers will harass the employees to work much harder. At the end, it’s the poor employee who’ll need to work long hours and short breaks to fill the higher bosses’ satisfaction. Fearing that they might lose their jobs, they will opt to be a corporate slave and will risk much of their time working and working. The advised office working hours is only 6.5 hours per day. Working longer than that will make you catch the corporate stress virus and will obviously make you less productive. Then off the cycle goes again.

I know this cycle ever since I’ve started working in a call center years back. I’ve done OTs and suffered constant nagging reminders from my manager for not meeting our stats and gained much stress for undergoing all these every single day. I’ve worked my way up though as a team manager. And I’m doing my best to make sure that my team will not get the corporate stress virus that everybody in the office caught.

I’ve though of ways that will help increase their productivity plus add enthusiasm and contentment at work. These things had actually decreased attrition and increased sales for us. It doesn’t have to consume much of my employees time so it doesn’t distract their work flow. The other team managers had copied it and are now enjoying its benefits! Allow me to share the best of the best that we have tried so far!

1. Constant lunch dates – My team and I either have our lunch packed or eat something from the office cafeteria. It had bored our taste buds so we ended up scheduling a day when we will eat at Fisherman’s Wharf at Pyrmont or at a nearby resto. We had set Thursday as our lunch date. You can set a different day for your employees, too!

2. Remembering important dates – We are like a family in the team. Our office operates 24/7 so we celebrate holidays, birthdays and even wedding annivs together! I use to buy cakes at Cake Central or order take-aways to have a mini celeb at the office. That way, my team feels that I care for the important days in their lives.

3. Freebies – I like giving away stuff like shirts, bags, cosmetics and shoes to my team. Whenever they had done good or had hit our stats after a few failing months, I give them something to be proud on. Making them feel appreciated is easy! You can try to give them stuff that interests them like magazines, concert tickets at the next Michael Buble concert or GC at Al Ponte in Darling Harbor!

4. Praise not hate – My college professor once told us to be careful with the words we say. It will make or break that person. I totally agree that’s why I don’t nag or brag my employees when they had done something awful. I am a sensitive person that’s why I wanted to give positive feedback to employees every time they had done well and encourage them with a motherly voice if they need improvement.

5. Office massages – this is the most wonderful part! You know how fabulous it is to get masseuse at your office? If not, I recommend you to get 3 Minute Angels. They come at our office fortnightly to give 5 minute massages to my team and they totally loved it! It’s a way of making them energized while working. The masseuses are called angels and those angels roam around the office to give seated massages at my team’s workstations so my team work time was not interrupted. Visit their website at www.3minuteangels.com to check their services! They’re totally cool!

You can also think of other ways to make sure that your employees are getting the most of their work while enjoying it. The rarer the better! But make sure to take into consideration the fun that every employee should get. Making them happy at work will keep the bosses happy as well. You can also try to read the different “Secrets Exposed” books by Dale Beaumont to get tips of making you employees love you! And if you have best practices done, please share it! Thanks! =)