Work environment: Innovation platform or battlefield?

The work environment and work culture are among the most important pillars of success in any institution. An ideal work environment encourages us to prioritize the common good over individual interests.

This is only achievable when we keep the institution’s ultimate goal in mind, alongside our vision for advancing our professional careers.

It may seem obvious when discussing the importance of a positive work environment, where employees work as one team in a setting that balances personal and professional life, meeting employees’ aspirations for growth, achievement and recognition. However, we still witness negative examples of employees who lose sight of the common good of work and fall into the illusion of ego. We must distinguish between competition and aggressiveness, and between supporting colleagues and picking on their mistakes. A healthy work environment is built on cooperation and professionalism, avoiding personal biases, such as making judgments or dwelling on trivial matters just to prove a point or impose a certain viewpoint, which wastes time and contradicts a successful organizational culture.

Personally, I do not understand the logic that drives some employees to behave in such a self-centered manner in the workplace. Is it the love of power and authority, and the stubbornness to hold onto one’s opinion no matter the consequences? Or is it fear of losing their position to someone more competent? In my opinion, a work environment like this lacks job security and produces adverse outcomes. Damaging the shared interest in work negatively affects employees’ quality of life, delays their personal growth and deteriorates institutional performance.

It is unfortunate to see some people turning the work environment into a battlefield for conflicts and point-scoring at others’ expense when we can all work in a healthy, competitive environment, achieve our goals, and realize our potential without harming others or neglecting our duties to our institutions. We must work toward integrating our roles as one team with one goal: The common good.

Nevertheless, we must be realistic. It is obvious that work culture varies from one institution to another, and that a single work environment comprises employees from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

This leads me to think about the necessity of developing work cultures in different workplaces, where each of us works on enhancing our emotional intelligence and learning communication skills with different personalities in various situations. This can only be achieved if employees realize that their ultimate goal is to serve the common good and the nation, rather than engaging in personal competitions that lead to poor decisions. Here, I emphasize the importance of institutions organizing specialized training workshops to raise awareness about values and principles. Each of us has values and principles that serve as a compass guiding us through life, yet many of us may not pay attention to them.

It is important for employees to understand their values and principles and to reassess them according to their career progression and increased awareness. This, in my opinion, is crucial training that enhances employees’ awareness of the importance of values and principles, driving them to work at a higher level of professionalism.

Therefore, I advise my brothers and sisters in the work team to always focus on the ultimate goal of work and adhere to the compass of proper performance to achieve the best results. I tell them: Strive to complete your tasks to the highest standards and do not underestimate the smallest details, as they may contribute to the process of making the right decision, potentially having long-term impacts, including saving lives.

Our belonging to one work team necessitates that we be wiser, more understanding and more accepting of others. Despite our diverse cultural backgrounds and adoption of different values and work methods, working as a team reveals our true potential and helps us achieve success and excellence. With this understanding, we must take responsibility for contributing to spreading awareness about the importance of work culture and its role in leading our institution and maintaining its advanced position globally.

• Asma Al-Janahi is a UAE national with more than 10 years’ management experience in government excellence and the sports sector. She writes about management and social life.