How To Make A Difference and Positive Impact At Your Workplace

If I have to start from a place where I could make a difference; it would be my community, and my workplace. It is our workplace where we spend most of our time, other than our sweet home, and therefore I believe that it is very important to make a positive difference and impact at your workplace. 

Every time I look back to relive the memories of my working/career-life, I come back with bitter-sweet feelings, because I feel a lot could have been better, not just in terms of my performance, but mostly with regards to the support and appreciation we expect from our colleagues, and coworkers! 

If you're still confused and not sure how you can make a difference at work, and in the world, then I am sure, this post is going to help you learn some simple ideas. Come along! 

So, what can you do to make a difference at work? How about the idea of 'working together towards bringing a change at work, and making a difference,' and to leave the world a better place than we found it? The way we work at office is changing every single day. And the year 2020 completely gave us a new way- how we work now! It doesn't matter if we will continue working virtually for a very long time, or we will go back to our workplace and "operate" from our favorite cubicles; but it important to make a habit of being respectful and kind to everyone you work with, and you meet in your office!

The truth is, we all can do something that can create a powerful difference in the world, and can leave behind a powerful legacy behind us, to make the world a better place for everyone.

No matter what your job type is and at what level you are; those initial days at your work can be daunting and overly intimidating! 

I've always tried paying heed to the advice I received from my seniors and colleagues during those initial challenging days at my jobs like; "try to fit it, be polite, make connections, approach your colleagues and start a conversation, try to observe the 'experts' and old members in your team and learn from them, etc. etc." But , that's easier said than done." No matter how positive and friendly you try to be with your colleagues, they don't perceive you as a welcoming member into their "family." Many feel insecure, look upon you as a threat, and therefore create hostile environment for you- and that's enough to scare you and or to make you feel uncomfortable and unwanted. 

We are growing and climbing the success ladder as fast as we can, and by every means possible, but what seems to be lacking within a company, is the lack of community and connection. It is a common belief that we must not get very personal with our colleagues and coworkers. And seniors or the oldest members in a team portray it very efficiently!  They try to behave more professionally than kindly, and this is why we drift away from each other, and instead create a competitive unfriendly environment at work for ourselves and for others. Sometimes making a difference at your workplace is simply about- how you choose to show up!

I was more driven to my managers and colleagues who were friendly and kind to me, than who were too "bossy" to be approached for any questions and doubts. We all stumble, and make too many mistakes during our probationary period at work. Don't we? Learning is different for all of us, but eventually we learn, do great, and succeed. Don't we?  Important is to reflect back and look at all the differences you made at your workplace, and how many lives you inspired and touched with your kindness, honesty, and authenticity. That is the real meaning of success in life. 

"I am not my resume! I am not the designation/title I was given in a company. I am not just what my school, college, and university decided for me! I am beyond that, and that's what success is for me- to keep moving forward and not ending up where I started, learning new things everyday, inspiring lives, making a difference, and standing up for bringing good changes around me." This is my definition of success!

And this post is inspired by my this thought of pointing at the changes I wish to see at every workplace, so that a new employee does not feel incompetent and overwhelming in their new jobs. And I hope this post can inspire everyone to bring that change in their organization, within the teams, and help new recruits feel more welcomed and confident, even on their first initial days at work!  

1. Be The Person You Needed On Your First Day At Work

Remember, how nervous and  anxious you felt on your first day at work! If you can recollect anything about that situation, and if someone's kind gesture and help made you feel little better and inclusive, then take that 'good feeling' forward, and make a new recruit in your team or in your company feel at ease and confident about their decision! Show up being kind and different.  

2. Be An Encourager And Not A Critic!

It is always believed that, a "smart" employee learns everything from the very day one! But I agree to disagree. You can never judge a book from it's first page. Can you? Then how can you decide a new recruit's skills and abilities from her first day itself? 

I'm always thankful to remember that I had some amazing colleagues who helped me to learn things during my probation period at work! They made me feel comfortable and advised me to stay away from office politics and drama. 

I'm always thankful to remember that I had some amazing colleagues who helped me to learn things during my probation period at work! They made me feel comfortable and advised me to stay away from office politics and drama.  Qualities like; honesty, humbleness, and kindness don't fit in that world, where there's always a rat race and cut-throat competition to rise above  others! Everybody gets busy finding your faults, and there's hardly any time to stop and encourage someone, or to let someone know that, they  are doing great, and will very soon master the skills and the knowledge required at the job.

I want to carry this piece of encouragement forward and would request you to share it with your new employee[s] and show them, "you care, just like someone else cared for you when you were new to the company!" Appreciate good work, and make it a point to praise your peers for their hard work and dedication. 

3. Teach The Skills and The Knowledge To Your Coworker To Help Them Perform Better

Knowledge transfer is a great skill. And if you can assist your coworker by helping him or her learn how the team functions and it's goals, as well as the nitty gritty of about the way things work at your organization, can help a newcomer navigate their way through the company with ease, and will help them perform better. 

I would like to encourage you to reach out to a newcomer or a new employee, and check if they need help! Sometimes they might be too shy, or little nervous to ask for any help. Be there for someone who needs help, and try to uplift their confidence and make them feel like they are equally important and they belong.

4. Build a Workplace Community and Create Connections

Photo byAndrea Piacquadiao from Pexels      

Everybody likes working in a happier work atmosphere. Don't we? Also research suggests that employees perform their best when the work culture is very conducive to reflect positivity and happiness. A positive workplace culture that is brimming with encouragement, appreciation, enthusiasm, and teamwork will obviously increase productivity and performance, and is likely to help in retention of the workforce, as well as increase in the success of the company. 

I feel these are the some of the best ways to build a workplace community:

a. Allowing everyone to share their ideas and views.

b. By respecting everyone's values and beliefs. 

c.  Team outings and team-building activities. 

d. By coming together to celebrate festivals, events, and success/achievement parties.  

e. By recognizing everyone's skills and abilities. 

f. Collaborating with other teams to learn and share the knowledge, etc. 

g. Encouraging employees to give feedback as a group.

These are just some of the benefits of building a community within your workplace. Community  can help employees to work on one goal as a team. It helps in building trust in the company, and provides clarity and space to communicate, and to share ideas for the individual as well as the company's growth! 

It is also very important to create a positive, friendly, supportive employee culture connection at our workplace.  All employees should have  equal opportunities to progress and must be given an inclusive work environment to create that community and connection. 

5. Create A Happy and Positively Infused Workplace

I just did a random search on Google to see what apps we can use to send across some appreciation messages and notes to the coworkers and other employees, and I was super excited to learn about so many of them!  

Wouldn't this be a great idea to send [or  to leave on someone's desk], some appreciation or encouraging notes and messages to make someone feel happy and special within the team? Building a happier workplace may sound difficult, especially when everyone seems to be so busy and occupied, but I believe, "we can all try and make difference."  Rather than waiting for someone to make the move, why don't we try to bring that change in our workplace, by creating small happy moments for ourselves and for others working with us? 

It's time we all work differently to make a positive impact at work,  and to make a difference at work. Let's start from today! Join me on this mission to make work and your workplace more fun and to increase productivity with a difference.

Main Image Credit- Photo by fauxels from Pexels