Page 168 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

HOW DO I BUILD A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT? (EFFECTIVE WORK CULTURE OR SETTING)

and helps prevent or alleviate seasonal affective disorder, a
type of depression.
Color also sends messages. Some companies pick light
colors for an open feeling; others equate social status with
darker colors. Red, orange, and yellow tend to stimulate and
excite. Pale greens, light yellows, and off-white are calming
(think doctors’ offices). Water colors seem to cool things
down; fire colors seem to warm the space.
People like to personalize their work space with favorite
colors, pictures of loved ones, and mementos of hobbies
or interests. Even in temporary “hotelling” offices where
employees share space and furniture, some personal touches
appear. Companies that ban personalization not only reduce
employees’ sense of ownership in their office space but risk
reducing ownership in the company as a whole.
The upkeep of the work setting also sends a message.
Is the workplace clean, freshly painted, and safe? Are the
gardens kept up? Are the windows clean? These tangible
details of the workplace signal commitment to quality and
to employee well-being.
Symbols can also intentionally and sometimes uninten-
tionally send powerful messages about a company. The first
impression sticks: a traditional stone chalet in a forest com-
municates a different message from a modern glass office
building downtown. The whole physical plant—architecture,
location, landscaping, signage, maintenance—will be read
as an indication of the company’s values. Leaders with larger
offices, customized wall hangings, plush carpets, rich panel-
ing, and expensive artwork send powerful messages that fit
the needs of hierarchical organizations very well. Retaining
such physical accoutrements in a theoretically flat and agile

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