By Esmée Hardwick-Slack
Do you often find yourself looking around your office and being faced with the subtle (or not so subtle) symptoms of low morale? Do your employees drag themselves to work? Is there a lack of collaboration? Is office laughter a distant memory?
Low morale in the office can have a big impact on a business. Leading to low productivity, high turnover rates and ultimately hindering your business from reaching its goals. We’ve compiled a few tactics and tips to help you give your office the positive boost.
Celebrate accomplishments
It’s natural for any business to be focused on what’s to come and the goals you need to achieve, rather than on what has already been. However, taking the time to look back on how far you’ve come helps employees appreciate how much they have achieved.
Work anniversaries are also a good way to highlight a milestone between an employee and a company. Acknowledging the time someone has spent with the company is a great way to let them know they are appreciated and valued. Studies by Globoforce have shown that 82% of people would feel good if others noticed and recognised their work anniversary, but only 36% of people say a work anniversary made them feel valued. Have a conversation with your staff and find out what the best way to celebrate anniversaries is in your office. And don’t forget to acknowledge the company’s birthday too!
Work is more than just a job
We all want to feel like what we do has a purpose, but a lot of us lose that feeling in the daily grind of day-to-day tasks. Your employees are part of something bigger, but do they know it? From their first interview, they need to understand and share the vision of what you’re doing and where you’re going as a company. That vision alone should motivate and inspire your team, however, you need to remind your employees of their individual contributions to that vision. This recognition will motivate them to do their job to the best of their ability and boost both morale and productivity.
Learn from each other
It’s important to remind yourself that your team is made up of individuals who bring different sets of skills and ideas, encourage your employees to show them off! Try introducing a “skillshare” where your employees can share their talents with everyone – from public speaking to wine tasting! Encouraging your team to share and learn with one another will give them a confidence boost and a chance to unwind together.
Personal schedules
Morale often suffers if team members feel like they can’t meet their personal, social or family obligations outside of work. Of course it’s your job to set your team up for professional success – but it’s also important to help team members achieve their personal goals.
Regular communication with your team is important to achieve this. Ask them what their hobbies are outside of work. Do they have a yoga class at 6PM on Tuesdays? Or a book club every Friday evening? Getting to know what your team do outside of work will allow you to try and accommodate their schedules. Of course, you won’t be able to work around everyone all of the time, but helping and encouraging your employees to maintain a happy life outside of work will help to bring a positive attitude into the office.
Lead by example
No one is cheery 100% of the time, but stress and negativity is very contagious. If your business is heading into a busy and stressful time, it’s important to maintain a positive attitude when in work and be diligent about minimizing your complaints in front of team members.
Others will look to you for guidance on how to best approach busy periods. Your outlook can set the tone for your entire team’s attitude.
It’s important to remember that your team’s morale should be a top priority. You need to be consistent with your attempts to boost and maintain a positive attitude. One off nights out or a pay rise aren’t a fast pass to good spirits. Regular communication and recognition will go a long way with your team.
How do you boost morale in your office? Do you use any of the tips above or do you have your own techniques? Let us know in the comments or join the discussion on our Twitter.
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