Are you looking for ways to improve your workplace? If so, this article will discuss five tasks to help you create positive organizational change. Creating a great workplace takes effort, but it is worth it. A company people love to work at increases your team's productivity and improves the quality of their work, delivering better results.

Working remotely has become a preferred working model. While it has plenty of benefits, the distance makes it more challenging to build a work environment where all employees feel a sense of belonging.

Here are five essential steps to implement to help create positive change in the remote workplace:  

1. Define the culture you want to create. What kind of environment do you want your employees working in? Do you want it to be collaborative or more competitive? Do you want to focus on innovation or customer service? 

 Once you've decided what kind of culture you want to create, developing strategies to make it a reality will be easier. Use these ideas to help define the culture you want to create:

First, develop a mission statement that reflects the culture you want to create. Next, establish values that everyone in your organization can buy into. Identify policy conflicts and establish new ones to build cultural alignment. Finally, employees can socialize and get to know one another outside work.

• Do this by setting team-building exercises, planning company excursions if possible, and having video meetings some days a week where you don't talk about work.

2. Assign clear roles and responsibilities. One of the most critical aspects of creating a great workplace is ensuring everyone knows their roles and responsibilities. When everyone agrees, it is easier to work together towards common goals. 

To ensure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities, start by creating job descriptions for each position in your organization. Ensure these job descriptions are clear, concise, and accurately reflect each position's duties.

Also, establish expectations for each employee. Tell them what you expect from them regarding their work ethic, attendance, and attitude. By setting clear expectations from the start, you'll avoid misunderstandings and conflict down the road.

It's also important to regularly communicate these expectations to your employees—schedule regular one-on-one meetings with each employee to check in on their progress and give feedback. Finally, hold periodic team meetings to keep everyone in the loop on company news and updates.

• By clearly defining roles and responsibilities, you'll create a workplace where everyone knows their place and how they can contribute to the organization.

3. Set measurable goals and objectives. Setting measurable goals and objectives will help you track your progress and ensure everyone is working towards the same purpose.  

•  To set measurable goals and objectives, start by identifying the overall plan for your organization. Next, break it down into smaller, more manageable goals. For each purpose, establish measurable objectives that you can track.

Involve your employees in team goal-setting exercises. Ask for their input on what they think are realistic and achievable goals. You'll build support and commitment to achieving the goals by involving them.

Finally, create a timeline for each goal that everyone is aware of. By setting measurable goals and objectives, you'll be able to track your progress and ensure that everyone is working towards the same purpose.

4. Encourage open communication and feedback. Encouraging open communication and feedback is essential for creating a great workplace. When employees feel like they can openly communicate with their managers, it creates a feeling of trust and mutual respect. There are a few ways you can encourage open communication and feedback in the workplace:  

• First, create an open-door policy where employees feel comfortable voicing their concerns or suggestions. Make them feel they are in a supportive workplace.

Ensure that you're accessible to your employees and take the time to listen to what they have to say.

• Another way to encourage open communication is to solicit feedback regularly. Ask your employees for their input and encourage innovation and creativity in the workplace.

5. Celebrate successes and learn from failures. Finally, it's important to celebrate successes and learn from failures. When you take the time to celebrate your employees' successes, it shows that you appreciate their hard work. It will help to build morale and motivation in the workplace.  

• Celebrate successes by establishing a reward and incentive system. Recognize employees who go above and beyond their job duties.
• Develop a culture of accountability by encouraging employees to take ownership of their mistakes. Help them learn from their failures and avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
• By celebrating successes and learning from failures, you will create a constantly improving and growing workplace.

Creating a great workplace doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, effort, and commitment. But, by following these five steps, you'll be well on your way to creating a healthy, productive, and positive work environment. Having happy employees and a great atmosphere is crucial for business success.

If you want to improve your relationship with remote employees, we invite you to read our article Modern Rules for Team Building When Employees Work at Home.

If you're an SME looking for ways to have a better workplace but have a limited budget, you should consider hiring nearshore virtual assistants with Cápita Works. We provide employees full benefits while connecting you with talented professionals for a fraction of the cost.

You can check out our guide per industry to know which areas our VAs can cover. Learn more about our services or contact us at info@capitaworks.com for further information.