If you ask someone to define success, you’ll get a different answer each time. But for me, it’s always been about being happy.

Happy in your life, happy in your career, and happy in your relationships.

And when looking at my role as a business owner who’s growing a strong company and team, I’ve realized that those are the same exact things I wish for my employees. My goal is to create a culture that is welcoming, enjoyable, and allows each person to thrive.

Here are 21 everyday behaviors for employers that lead to a happier (and lower stress!) workplace.

1. Exercise common courtesy. Be kind, polite, and respectful to your team. Always. And extend that same courtesy to all of your customers, vendors, delivery drivers, etc.
2. Recognize major life events. Celebrate those events that are near and dear to your employees – birthdays, anniversaries, birth of a child, graduation.
3. Take a vested interest. Ask about your employees’ personal lives – how the new baby is, if their grandma is feeling better, etc. Show them that you care about them as a person as opposed to just an employee.
4. Write a handwritten thank you note. In the age of emails and text messages, a hand-written note can mean a lot. Thank employees for going above and beyond, for simply being a part of the team, or for stepping up in a meeting.
5. Call just to say hi. When you haven’t seen or talked with someone in a while, take the time to call and check in. It’ll be like a breath of fresh air.
6. Be available. Employees can look to you for guidance at any time, so strive to never be too busy for a call or a conversation. Be available, be present.
7. Ask, “How are you?”….and mean it. Drop the autoresponders that are built into our everyday communications. Take the time to say “Hi, how are you?” and stop to really listen for the answer.
8. Be direct and honest. Honesty sounds easy in theory, but it’s tough to pull off in real life sometimes, especially when you’re afraid of hurting someone’s feelings. Even so, honesty is still the best policy. Be direct, but kind and compassionate too.
9. Don’t dwell on mistakes. Everyone, including you, will make mistakes from time to time. So encourage the team that those instances are simply part of the learning process. Remind them you’re there to help them learn from their mistakes.

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Carrie Luxem

Restaurant HR Group