The Down-Low on How to Keep Morale High

Now more than ever, businesses need committed employees who are willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill their duties and quickly adjust to new ideas. Committed employees work together to achieve the company’s goals and help each other make the best of each workday. Employee morale is a hot topic during these times of uncertainty due to many issues simmering right now; COVID-19, black lives matter, raging fires, tornados, and the election.

During challenging times, it’s imperative to keep employee morale high. Businesses need employees with a positive attitude who are willing to think outside the box and experiment with new ways to accomplish tasks and goals. It’s important to have employees with helpful attitudes while assisting customers or helping coworkers achieve your company’s objectives.

Employees with optimistic attitudes know their ideas might not work out but have the courage to give it a shot. An employee with a negative attitude often focuses solely on what they have to accomplish to get by and won’t look out for coworkers. They don’t look for a broader perspective of what is going on around them, making other employees work harder and lowering team morale.

Employees with positive attitudes feel connected, committed, and invested in the success of the company. Today I will give you a few tips on how to give your company morale a boost.

Celebrate Good Behavior

Operating a successful business is not just about keeping customers happy, but your employees too. It’s essential that you design ways to show employees appreciation and recognize their achievements. There are many different types of award programs that you can implement to let your employees shine. Aside from the typical employee of the month or top sales awards–using your most common employee relation issues to create incentives is a win-win situation. Awards for:

  • 100% attendance
  • being on time
  • best closer or opener
  • cleanest work station
  • wearing a mask all-day
  • most helpful to others
  • willing problem solver
  • positive attitude

Present the awards to honor the person in front of all employees to let them shine and entice other employees to try harder.

Management Interaction

The hierarchy between management and employees can lead to a drop in morale. Train managers in emotional intelligence to help them be more personable and accessible. Employees benefit from regular interaction with management because it makes them feel valued. Giving an employee an occasional pat on the back or pointing out a mistake and helping them correct it shows employees that someone is paying attention and wants to help them improve their performance.

Handwritten notes of congratulations to employees for reaching a goal or achieving a milestone in their personal or professional life are tangible and touching token they won’t forget. The more personable management can seem then the better it is for employee morale.

Unrealistic Goals

When a team is given unrealistic goals, there is a drop in the whole department’s morale. Aggressive metrics are essential to a business’s success but can damage team morale when employees feel that the expectations can’t be met. People feel empowered knowing they can achieve a goal but feel stress, frustration, and negativity when they feel like they can’t. Involving managers in the goal-setting process will avoid consistently setting goals that employees think are unrealistic. If unrealistic goals are unavoidable, then set up a plan to reward those who exceed the goals.

Kudos Corner in Company Newsletter

A monthly company newsletter is an excellent way for employees to stay on the same page with what is happening companywide. Offering a Kudos Corner in the company’s newsletter where employees can shout out praise to their peers for good work is a great way to get everyone involved in sharing the good vibes. Making it easy for employees to give feedback and recognition to each other will boost morale and strengthen your team.

Yearly Awards Ceremony

Unlike the more frequent weekly or monthly employee acknowledgments, a yearly awards ceremony is when employees are honored for their long-standing service and dedication to the company. December is an optimal time for an annual awards ceremony. It’s the end of the year and time when you should gather your employee team together to observe the highs and lows of the last year and celebrate the people with the most growth and commitment.

Use the culmination of the weekly and monthly awards to help determine who receives the larger yearly awards. Recognizing employees for upstanding work or consistent dedication to the company will show them they are valued and inspire the rest of the employee team to win the award next year.

In conclusion, keeping employee morale high should be a priority because it’s the fuel that will keep your business efficient, consistent, and on the leading edge. When employees have a negative attitude, they are more likely to be disengaged, do their job with the least amount of effort, and with little concern for their coworkers or the company.

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