Describe three or four challenges you see in achieving an effective work environment, and identify resources needed to achieve balance in a changing workplace.

One challenge I personally combat in the work place is demotivation due to lack of accountability for those who make the same or more salary and contribute more negative effects than positive contributions to the team. In order to retain top talent those who underperform and are not held accountable is risky and will likely aid in turnover of top talent. Fairness is difficult to manage but choosing to not take action will negatively affect those who do contribute more than their job expectations. This is where consistent feedback and evaluations can balance the struggle from being a perceived mean boss to a respectable boss where everyone is responsible for their own actions. Although no one ever wants to terminate an employee or negatively affect anyone’s family accountability is vital for ethical and unbiased management to hold each team member to the same standard. I personally am able to overcome this demotivation due to the relationship built with my superior but it will continue to motivate me to search for a government position instead of staying in a contractor position.

The second and widely changing work environment due to Covid is the rise in allowance for individuals to telework. There are two types of people who are either successful or not when it comes to productivity while working from home with dozens of distractions if you do not separate your home from your office space. I believe those who are strong in self-discipline are successful at home and take extra measurements to balance and separate the two entities outside of a typical work place or location. I personally have been successful in teleworking because I set distinct goals, I have a weekly schedule of tasks to be accomplished, my office is in an extra spare bedroom (where the door is closed when off duty) and no other family member is at home during my work day. The other not so successful individuals struggle with child care or thinking they can do both at the same time, they do not have a designated area for a work station, they allow distractions of many elements to interfere with their work day or simple just do not have the self-discipline to accomplish tasks without supervision. This is an increased topic of challenges as many return to work and desire to negotiate flexible work schedules to include days allowed to work from home as benefits to their compensation packages.

Lastly lighting is personally a major contribution to alertness for productivity that can alter my abilities to focus. There are several other environment factors that others struggle with like temperate, window views, standing stations, noise etc. Resources to overcome these matters are typically not difficult to achieve but can make a drastic affect. I personally added a small lamp to my work station and was able to feel more alert and awake in a colder environment decreasing in the amount of breaks I needed to get my attention focused. Many of my peers utilize anything from a heated blankets to noise canceling head phones to set breaks for stretching or short walks to break up the day.

To create balance in the work place you have to lay out expectations clearly, provide resources, training and feedback, follow up on discussions and follow through on accountability. The only way to balance an ever changing workplace is adapting in anticipation and in the need of business modifications. When something doesn’t seem to be working asking the right questions can impact production or end results much simpler than expected such as increased lighting and some factors such negative work environment may take more attention, effort, and implementation of new or updated policies.