While performance and results are the drivers of business, what are the best ways to achieve these desired outcomes? An obvious choice is to hire individuals with the best background and qualifications. However, some supervisors and bosses forget about the importance of workplace morale. Whether it’s seen as team spirit, corporate feng shui, or just getting along, content employees make productive workers.
Morale is defined by Answers.com as:“The state of the spirits of a person or group as exhibited by confidence, cheerfulness, discipline, and willingness to perform assigned tasks. It denotes a spirit, as of dedication to a common goal, that unites a group.” Morale can boost or kill motivation, drive and productivity.
So how do you get to a place of good morale? How do you get employees to want to come to work each day and stay for the long run? It’s an evolutionary process that needs to be built over time. It’s a process that needs discipline and team work.
Here are 10 quick points to improve and keep the morale in your workplace.
- Keep open lines of communication with employees. Make your expectations clear, be sure to listen for reactions and suggestions, and keep an open door policy with employees.
- Show appreciation – feeling valued can come from simple things like “please”, “thank you”, and “good job”.
- Work / life balance – acknowledging that there is a world outside of the office will help ease the minds of employees. Kids get sick, disasters happen, cars break down – bosses don’t have to be scary when dealing with these things.
- Inviting feedback fosters mutual respect and helps a manager get a well-rounded view for company policy and activities.
- Job expectations – make them clear from the start. This includes job duties, accountability, rewards and repercussions.
- Set the example by your own words, body language, and even your expressions. Start the day off right with a positive tone.
- Connect by making time for each person you supervise. Spend a few moments a day with each person going over duties, ask about questions or problems, and get the feel for morale.
- Providing employee development opportunities gives workers the chance to grow in their jobs and will help them work towards their career objectives.
- Monetary rewards and gifts can help employees feel valued and give them longer-term goals to work towards during the year.
- Team building activities can help employees get to know each other better and spend some time “outside the cube”. Have lunch together once a week; plan an annual department picnic; take a class or seminar together.
“Morale is when your hands and feet keep on working when your head says it can’t be done.” ~ Benjamin Morrell
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