You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

Seven Tips To Improve Your Work Environment During Ramadan (And Beyond) Motivation comes from within. Come to work with a Positive Mental Attitude.

By Natalie Brown

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Laborant / Shutterstock.com

How happy do you feel when you have helped someone out of a situation where they could not see the light at the end of the tunnel? In training, this is a common feeling; when a person does not know how to handle specific situations at work, and you take the time to listen and offer options. You explain the different options to them and they decide on one that will work and ultimately improve the working environment.

If we relate this to the working environment during Ramadan, I often hear that it helps keeping your mind busy, because there may be times during the day when energy levels may be lower than normal. However, happiness at the workplace may not be the number one priority on everyone's mind, so let's be realistic. It is more about managing expectations, so you succeed at what you are doing, and therefore have job satisfaction.

During one of my workshops, the topic of happiness during Ramadan came up when one of the participants asked me how they can keep motivated and happy at work during Ramadan. I took a few seconds to consider this first, and then responded by asking why they are only concerned during Ramadan- this should be something we consider all the time. After discussing this topic in the group, we came up with the following suggestions:

1. Don't waste your time on more mundane and less important tasks. We still have to complete our work during reduced working hours, so plan your time and set realistic time frames to prevent deadlines all approaching at once.

2. Motivation comes from within. Come to work with a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) as this can sometimes be "half the battle."

3. Write the tasks for the day in order of priority, so that when you have completed the tasks, it is a great feeling of accomplishment.

4. Make the best of what you have. I am not saying don't be ambitious, however some people always think the "grass is greener" on the other side, thinking that extra money, a promotion will make them happier. This may be true in the short term; however, what about the long term? That's something to think about.

5. Consider others and take the time to speak to get to know someone from another department. We are not talking about wasting time here, however you all work for the same organization, so why not get to know each other better. The topic of the conversation could be as general as what do you do after Iftar, or the TV series or book you are currently engrossed in.

6. If you are a senior manager, ask yourself how well you know your team, and how well they know you in a professional capacity. You could start an initiative, where one morning a month, they can meet with you to ask questions on a specific topic. This could be team or department wise.

7. Consider colleagues with whom you have had conflicts with over the past year, and let go of the grudges you may still have. Be the better person, and take the first step to resolving the issue. If it does not work, then at least you tried.

8. If you see someone who does not look happy, approach them. Ask them if you can help with something? At least this shows that you have noticed that they do not look happy and have taken the initiative to approach them. Now, if it is Ramadan, they may just be tired; however, you have taken the first step to show you care. Perhaps this person also feels happy that you did this.

Related: Five Business Hacks to Survive (And Thrive During) Ramadan In 2017

Natalie Brown

Managing Director, Select Training and Management Consultancy LLC

Natalie Brown’s career began in the academic field in Abu Dhabi at both secondary and tertiary levels and worked her way up to eventually establishing and managing Select Training and Management Consultancy. She understands the importance of developing the younger generations today and ensuring companies setting up or operating in the UAE and wider region also have enough cultural awareness to succeed. After six years as an academic, she joined the corporate world, where she not only delivers her training and consultancy to the highest standards which are memorable, but also paves the way for young GCC nationals to lead and inspire the generations to come.

Thought Leaders

How To Improve Your Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence in 7 Easy Steps

Using these simple but effective approaches will help a person in their business, life and relationships.

Finance

The Recap: Leaders In Fintech Awards 2023

The Leaders in Fintech Awards 2023 was staged by Entrepreneur Middle East with the support of in5, Idealz One, Numei Real Estate and Fluidmeet.

Business News

Kevin O'Leary Says 'Do Not' Merge Finances, Bank Accounts With Your Spouse: 'I Forbid It in My Own Family'

The "Shark Tank" star stressed the importance of keeping your "own financial identity" in a relationship.

Starting a Business

8 Tips for Increasing Your Average Sale

Getting a few more dollars out of each customer can put startups on a fast track to success.

Productivity

How I Take Advantage of My ADHD With Hyperfocus

Hyperfocus is a common but little-known asset of ADHD. It is the ability to focus intensely on something for hours or days at a time.

Business News

'Wildly Inappropriate': Woman Says She Was Denied a Job Because She Didn't Wear Makeup During the Interview

Melissa Weaver was applying for a VP of HR job at a tech company via video.