The old saying is true, if you enjoy what you do you will never work a day in your life. Much of this can be attested to the people you work with as much as the work itself. Creating a sense of community in the warehouse can be a huge contributing factor to attaining such an objective and moreover toward raising efficiency and productivity. Given the rigors of the material handling industry, working in the warehouse is best achieved when employees and personnel are on the same page. Are you looking to foster such a transformative environment in your workplace? There are several steps you can take to achieve such a feat. Promoting communication, raising accountability, and establishing best practices are three excellent ways to get your warehouse on track to becoming one that is community-oriented and employee-conscious. Here is how you can get started today.

1) Promote Communication – The basis of any proficient relationship is fluid communication. This can be achieved through promoting the correct approaches and behaviors internally. From a top-to-bottom model, communication can be fostered by welcoming interaction not just from laborers to management but also amongst personnel engaging in daily initiatives. Encouraging a team-oriented environment not only makes routine tasks become easier, it implores engagement amongst the workers performing these projects. As a result of this, worker morale is likely to rise and furthermore it can prevent accidents as staff can perceive a risk and be readier to disseminate information on potential hazards as they emerge. In addition, promoting communication allows friendships to form which also makes the day a lot easier when it can get tough. According to Chron, building the idea of teamwork can also be achieved by hosting community meetings and establishing team deadlines to further reinforce this mantra.

2) Raise Accountability– Coinciding with the first principle of promoting communication, accountability is another method to cultivate a communal sense within the warehouse. If employees are more responsible for each other, they began to rely on each other more and thus take a familial approach toward various aspects of the trade. When workers are encouraged to think beyond just their role for a project or the job itself and focus on other employees, relationships and bonds can further be formed and thus the safety of one becomes the safety of all. In addition, instituting accountability also helps reduce liabilities as more eyes and ears are fixed to making sure any assignment gets done in accordance with regulatory guidelines and applicable protocol.

3) Establish Best Practices – When employees gauge how to complete a task effectively and safely, these become known as best practices. When these processes become routine, they become the foundation for completing and executing a variety of tasks in the premium cost-effective and time-saving manner imaginable. What was once considered a part of workplace culture now becomes a standardized operating procedure. Documenting these ideas and approaches is a great way to get new hires to hit the ground running in particular. It also can serve as a framework for those unsure of how to go about things in unfamiliar territory. This also creates consensus and thus further embellishes the principle of community.