Employee morale. It’s a subject that is often neglected in the
best of times and commonly feared during the worst. But, in order
to advance your business goals, employee morale must be evaluated,
discussed and addressed. Fortunately, there are simple steps you
can implement to acknowledge and recognize your team members,
manage their expectations and reward their successes.
WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA (WCF) suggests these solutions
for managing employee morale:
Communicate often and in person. Hold open discussion
forums that are called by management and/or employees. Be prepared
to listen and share specifics about the state of the company and
your industry. Schedule regular opportunities to visit your
employees’ offices and walk the halls to show your staff you are a
part of the team and interested in their daily challenges and
triumphs. Periodically schedule one-on-one breakfast or lunch
outings with employees (from all levels of the organization); thank
them for their contributions to the team and ask for ideas to
improve the company.
Ask your employees. Find out what motivates your
employees and what they want most from their jobs and your
organization during open meetings and in performance appraisals,
surveys and hall way conversations. By asking them for their
recommendations, you can better understand what motivates them and
gather valuable feedback you can use to manage expectations.
Take action. Having listened to your team, develop and
implement steps and programs to improve your organization’s
processes, procedures and attitudes. Evaluate policies that impact
and enhance employee benefits, work schedules, rewards, promotions,
training and development, etc.
Update employees. Again, communication is the key to
improving morale, so provide your staff regular updates and
feedback about the progress the organization is making to implement
new policies and processes. Keep goals future-focused and inclusive
of all employees.
Offer assistance. Ask your human resources department
to provide management/coaching seminars for managers and
supervisors so they are prepared to support their employees and
your organizational efforts. If your company is downsizing, provide
Employee Assistance or private counseling services for employees
who may be struggling with any personal and/or professional effects
of the layoff.
Promote a positive work environment. Celebrate often
(within the limits of your budget) for meeting short and long term
goals, closing the fiscal year, securing new clients, passing
audits, etc. Recognize employees who are making positive
contributions to the organization via e-mails and/or the company
newsletter.
