When discerning whether morale is an issue to address, consider this: 70 percent of employees polled said layoffs and the reduction or elimination of programs and benefits will have a negative impact on morale, and 55 percent said these cuts would affect their productivity now and in the future, according to a recent survey by Globoforce, a human-resources consulting firm.
Your shop may be experiencing low morale among employees if they arrive late, take extended lunches, miss work often, become less productive, gossip about other workers or the boss, exude negative attitudes, or display a lack of enthusiasm. If you see any of these signs, it's not too late to steer the shop in a different direction, according to Florida-based industry consulting group Mary Wolf Enterprises, which advises management to be in the business of encouragement, which doesn't cost anything. Employees want acknowledgement that their concerns about the economic climate are real and normal. To help, provide input about how the shop is doing and highlight any positive aspects.
Considering that job cutbacks, reduction in pay and dim hope for job security all could become realities at your shop, it is helpful if your shop makes strides in helping employees feel connected to the company and its coworkers. This typically leads employees to remain with a company.
Don't be afraid to recognize employee fears because fear is the most powerful emotion for lowering morale, says Harriet Myerson, founder of The Confidence Center who works with various types of manufacturers that want to improve employee morale on a tight budget. To keep fears and anxieties to a minimum and help employees refocus those energies, shops need to implement and understand three significant concepts: communicate, appreciate and energize, Myerson says.
"Consistent communication is the key to building trust and lowering stress," she says. Management can implement this simply by keeping employees informed about what's happening.
Host weekly meetings in which employees can express business or personal concerns or challenges. Employees also may share how they'd respond to those challenges in an encouraging way. Others might share how they keep a positive outlook. During the meeting, offer food or have staff members alternate weeks in which they bring a snack or dessert.
Make meetings something to look forward to each week. End meetings with a motivational story shared by a staff member. Hold a contest to name the weekly meeting – a creative, catchy phrase. Winner takes a prize.
Showing employees they are appreciated is another step toward enhancing your shop's morale.
"Appreciation is like water to a flower - to be effective, it needs to be given often," Myerson says. "A simple thank you from managers given often seems more sincere than a large gift given once in a while."
Managers can write notes of appreciation and encouragement on blank business cards. Write the employee's name on the card and include a compliment about a specific task the employee accomplished, then date the note. The business cards of encouragement can be placed in an employee's work area where he can display it.
Another way to validate employees is to ask what matters to them. For example, ask employees if there's anything you can do to help them through difficult times. Although you may not be able to financially aid employees beyond a paycheck, you may agree to meet an employee for lunch to discuss the week to show you value him or her.
"It's especially important in bad times to recharge your emotional battery by doing something fun," Myerson says.
Plan activities that allow employees to socialize with each other. Picnics or dinners, to which employees each bring a dish and meet at a designated location, are typical suggestions.
Employees can plan softball or volleyball games at picnics, and in the case of all-male shops, basketball and football games can boost positive energy.
Movie trivia is an activity your office can offer on an ongoing basis. The activity can foster enthusiasm and interaction among employees and enhance concentration. Prize ideas may include a gift certificate to a local restaurant, a gift card to a movie-rental store, a gas gift card or a half-day off work.
If financially feasible, you may wish to permit each employee one hour a month for volunteer work. Some companies that have tried this discovered it enhanced employees' happiness when they understood the company valued community service. For more employee morale tips, visit Myerson's Web site – www.confidencecenter.com.
