PERFECT WORKPLACE – IS IT REAL?

Corporate, Outsourced, Up in the Air, Pursuit of Happiness and various other Bollywood and Hollywood movies have struck a chord with their global audiences particularly those in the corporate world. They compel one to think about our preferable workplace, our working style and what would be the ideal environment for oneself.

Theoretically speaking, an ideal workplace is one with good communication and team work systems that are conducive for productive and efficient working of its employees. It may be termed as workplace where employees can grow professionally as well as intellectually. However, there can be no comprehensive definition. Infinite permutations and combinations can be worked out in any given organization as each individual has a different set of expectations, needs, views and experiences.

In my opinion, the perfect workplace is where employees are comfortable and feel at home. This is crucial because it is directly linked with performance and employee’s alignment with the company values and goals. This was beautifully depicted in the romantic comedy, Outsourced where Tom Anderson (Josh Hamilton) was transferred to India where he experiences a culture shock. The film depicts travails and cross cultural conflict and how the salesman works his way through to be a part of the culture and find comfort in his working.

However, the company’s contribution in creating an ideal work environment is very limited. It is restricted only to providing resources, services and addressing employee needs. The environment and culture is fundamentally created by the employees; by the way we function, our attitude, behaviour towards each other and the like. It is the employees that create an enriching and dynamic environment. Thus, creating our perfect workplace is in our hands. Our environment primarily depends upon ‘US’ treating our co-workers with respect and support. It is dependent upon how we adapt to each other and shape our functioning as per our surroundings.

Interestingly, it always comes down to each one of us in terms of our way of dealing with us. The way we think has a direct impact on the way we behave and act. Suppose, we feel that this task is extremely difficult for me to do. Thinking this itself dropped my enthusiasm level to a large extent and moved me towards pessimism making it hard for me to initiate the project. So we need to THINK that we are working at an ideal workplace because only then we will be passionate about our work and only then we can focus on our working at our best.

 Another major error we commit in adapting to our workplace is that of comparison. Suppose your boss compared your work with one of your colleague. Both of you work on different aspects, come from different backgrounds and have diametrically opposite ways of functioning. You are bound to feel frustrated about the comparison. Similarly, even though two companies may be working in the same sector, their styles of functioning are bound to be different. This is again because the culture of the company created by its employees will be different from ours. And it is this difference in the thinking and working pattern of the employees that the company provides different kind of facilities. Hence, comparison should be always and only be done with the focus of improvisation and enrichment. If we desire a similar environment, our first target should be to create such working within ourselves and then spread it outwards to our colleagues, department and hence forth.

It takes an extraordinary organization to create an environment which is conducive and challenging for its employees. But such an organization is developed only when there are such individuals in the organization to make a difference. Thus, the perfect workplace is all about thinking, adapting and shaping.

‘THE PERFECT WORKPLACE EXISTS AND IT IS YOU’

-- By Radhika Gupta