“It
is not numbers or strength that bring the victories in war. No, it is when one
side goes against the enemy with the gods’ gift of a stronger morale that their
adversaries, as a rule, cannot withstand them.” ― Xenophon, The Persian
Expedition In this competitive and high-pressure businessworld most companies
prefer short-term financial […]
“It is not numbers or
strength that bring the victories in war. No, it is when one side goes against
the enemy with the gods’ gift of a stronger morale that their adversaries, as a
rule, cannot withstand them.”
― Xenophon, The Persian Expedition
In this competitive
and high-pressure businessworld most companies prefer short-term financial
benefits over having a strong and high-morale team working for them. Companies
sometimes dedicate mountains of resources to their “Human Resource” departments
to find great employees, only to neglect them after they are hired.
There is a direct
correlation between morale and productivity/growth. As a business owner or a
manager, how seriously do you take employee morale, and what steps are you
taking to improve it? You are at a severe disadvantage if you are not concerned
about low staff morale, because it can lead to staff disengagement, lower
productivity and higher turnover rate, to name a few.
In studies by
the Queens School of Business and
by the Gallup Organization, disengaged and
low morale workers had 37% higher absenteeism, 49% more accidents, and 60% more
errors and defects in their work.
At our company, we use
some simple and effective methods to improve employee morale and it has yielded
amazing improvements for us – both in morale and revenue. I want to share these ways with
you so that you and your employees can gain the long term benefits as well.
Show That You Care
Employees are people,
not just numbers or statistics, and as such should be treated with dignity and
respect. Employees feel more motivated when their employer effectively
communicates to them that they are a valued part of the business. Communicate
more often; be involved in their lives by remembering their birthdays or
wedding anniversaries (you probably have a whole HR department or at the very
least an HR person to help you with that).
Small things like
having ergonomic chairs show your employees that you are interested in their
comfort level.
At iDesignYours,
we advocate the very simple practice of asking our employees key questions;
1.
How do you feel about this project?
2.
Do you need any help completing it? (If “yes” answer, we will
find a way to assist them)
3.
Have you thought of any projects that you’d like to do?
Asking these types of
questions, and responding with care to the answers, can really boost an
employee’s mood and creativity. You are bound to get good returns for this.
Encourage Work-Life Balance Amongst Your
Employees
Work-Life imbalance is
cited as the most probable cause of stress and low morale. We make sure to give
our employees a very flexible schedule, and when people have a family
emergency, like a doctor’s visit, we find someone else to pick up the slack so
they can take care of themselves.
Show your
employees that you respect their time and leave them alone when they are out of
work, unless of course you have an emergency. In this case you should make it
well known to your employees, beforehand, that if you need their help when it’s
their time off, you will compensate them for their assistance.
If you see someone
working after hours, have a simple talk with them along the lines that you
appreciate their dedication but you want them to spend their after-hours time
with their families and friends.
Acts of respect and
courtesy on the part of an employer will go a long way towards increasing your
bottom line. You will observe that your employees are more energetic and
productive when you act in this fashion.
Gather Feedback For Your Business Decisions
Empower your employees
by allowing them to rearrange their tasks, let them feel more in control of
their work and priorities. Get feedback from employees about business decisions
and encourage them to volunteer innovative ideas they may think of.
When you use one of
your employee’s ideas to improve something at work, make sure you recognize
their contribution in front of their co-workers. Sometimes a reward may also be
appropriate, and will go a long way towards getting others to jump on the
bandwagon.
“When employees feel
valued and vested, they are part of something bigger and work for the benefit
of the company, not just for themselves as individuals,” says Melinda Starbird,
Auth0’s vice president of people and culture.
Appreciation Goes Further Than You Thought!
It is easy to overlook
basics like a simple “Thank You” for a job well-done. Recognizing success and
acknowledging achievements, both publicly and privately, creates an environment
where employees feel valued. Use social media to openly appreciate your staff.
Think outside the box
when creating incentives and rewards for top performing employees like;
arranging a wellness massage, getting a kindle subscription for nerds, buying
them something that complements their personal hobby, to name a few. Hey, if
someone’s doing a great job for you, come out and ask them what they’d like.
Better than to guess and get it wrong. Remember, they didn’t disappoint you,
don’t disappoint them.
In a reverse strategy,
consider how you could reward an underachiever. Maybe there is a good reason
they are underperforming; a sick relative they are taking care of, a family
tragedy such as divorce or an incarcerated child. If you see someone
underachieving at your business, make it your business to find out why. If it
is fixable, make it happen. If it’s because they don’t like their job, that’s
probably something you can’t fix. In this case you might want to find an
amicable way to let them go. Just keep in mind, sometimes an underachiever can
surprise you and turn out to be your best employee, once you remove the
roadblock that’s holding them back. Doing this has an added benefit for you
too: your other employees will have more respect for you as a leader.
Build and Nurture A Team
Developing great
people is key to the strong foundations and ongoing success. Invest time and
effort in building trust with your employees. Build a team like a family, and
motivate them to improve by offering free classes to those interested.
Help them grow
and they’ll help you grow.
Do you have any more
tips for increasing staff morale and productivity? Share with us in the
comments.
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/5-ways-to-improve-employee-morale-and-increase-productivity/?_lrsc=86a19c9d-abca-4ee8-9d11-cf74526f6fca
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