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Six Simple Ways to Improve Employee Morale

Posted by Karen Boyce | Tue, Oct 09, 2012 @ 10:00 AM

employee moraleEvery employee has different motivations for working and these reasons generally cover a broad spectrum. Obviously job content, competitive pay and benefits are motivating factors to attract employees to your workplace but the culture maintained on a daily basis is also important to keep them on board.

Maintaining a culture that not only motivates employees but also promotes positive morale is crucial no matter what type of business you are in. Employee morale describes the overall outlook, attitude and satisfaction that employees feel at work. When employees are happy about their work environment, employee morale is positive. If employees are unhappy about their workplace and feel unappreciated, employee morale is negative. Motivating employees is one of the biggest challenges management faces on a regular basis. Promoting positive employee morale does not have to be difficult; however, it does take desire, commitment and attention on behalf of the leaders of an organization.

Here are some suggestions to promote positive morale within your organization:

  • Get to know your employees. Allocating 15 or 20 minutes of your day to interact with employees pays big dividends. The result is a very effective team because you’ve taken the time to become familiar with each of the members of your staff on an individual basis. 
  • Communicate effectively. Talking with your staff about what’s happening within the company goes a long way. Encourage feedback and promote a culture where employees feel safe to provide feedback. Listen to what your employees have to say even when your schedule is full and business is frantic and you’ll see trust develop.
  • Offer feedback and coaching. Providing positive feedback and/or constructive criticism is critical to an employee’s success. Sporadic and spontaneous face-to-face feedback and coaching lets employees know how they are performing and where they need to focus. 
  • Be flexible. Putting someone in charge of a project means actually letting them be in charge of it and not micro-managing the entire project yourself. Delegate and let go! Allowing flexibility can help build tremendous loyalty by showing employees that you care about their families and other obligations outside the workplace. This allows your employees to effectively balance their work and personal life so they can be successful at both.
  • Show your appreciation. Recognizing your employees is essential to an outstanding work environment; it allows you to show your appreciation for a job well done. Appreciation is a basic human need. Employees want to be respected and valued for their contribution.  When employees and their work are valued, their satisfaction and productivity rises and they are motivated to maintain their good work. Everyone wants a ‘pat on the back’ to make them feel good.
  • Have fun. Facilitating company BBQ’s, annual picnics, giveaways such as sports tickets or movie tickets and supporting community involvement are always positive and can insert some fun into the business workday. Take a look around one day when you’re in the midst of an employee BBQ, giveaway, etc. to see the smiles and feel the positive vibe.

Employee morale is vital to every company. It affects the bottom line in more ways than we often realize. The suggestions listed above are just a snapshot of simple, inexpensive ways to promote positive morale and engage your employees. Do you have suggestions to improve morale?  Let us know what you are doing at your business.  


 

Written by Karen Boyce