Improving the Workplace

I love the tips in this Guardian article about how voluntary sector organisations can improve the workplace without busting the all-important annual budget. Charities can get a lot of criticism for spending money on stuff like this and I know many organisations find it hard to justify.

“It’s really easy not to bother. We feel as if there’s no time. There’s no money. That we have more important things to do. It all seems just too simple to be helpful…”

I think every charity manager will relate to this. It is so hard to prioritise the needs of your own organisation and staff when the needs of whatever cause your charity supports are arguably so much greater. But, wouldn’t it be amazing if charity staff looked forward to coming to work and couldn’t wait for Monday mornings? Valuing staff and volunteers, providing spaces where they can relax or take a break, encouraging them to take some fresh air and saying thank you now and again are simple, low cost and effective ways of motivating staff and, ultimately, delivering better projects.

I would love to hear of charities where this approach is working well.