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10 Tips for Improving Staff Morale

Guest post by: Todd Linaman

Article Overview: It's often been said that employees leave managers, not companies. Research conducted by the Corporate Leadership Council (2003) provides support for this assertion. This study found that managers have a significant influence on a worker's level of commitment to their job. The study revealed that more than 70% of an employee's commitment is directly related to the interaction they have with their manager. If the manager/employee interactions are negative, low morale will often result.

10 Tips for Improving Staff Morale

It's often been said that employees leave managers, not companies. Research conducted by the Corporate Leadership Council (2003) provides support for this assertion. This study found that managers have a significant influence on a worker's level of commitment to their job. The study revealed that more than 70% of an employee's commitment is directly related to the interaction they have with their manager. If the manager/employee interactions are negative, low morale will often result.

According to Sirota Survey Intelligence, June 2006, 85% of employee morale sharply decreases after their first 6 months on the job. Many studies have revealed that there is a direct relationship between employee morale and productivity and performance. Making a conscious effort to improve morale is simply good business.

The Gallup Organization has estimated that there are 22 million actively disengaged employees costing the American economy up to $350 billion annually in lost productivity including absence, illness, and other problems that occur as a result of employee dissatisfaction. Executives and managers who are able to keep employee morale high will undoubtedly improve productivity and performance for their company.

I have identified 10 tips below that if consistently followed will help you improve staff morale among your team members.

1. Don't be a stranger

Make yourself visible. When leaders regularly interact with and work alongside their employees it communicates a higher level of commitment to team objectives and a willingness to share the responsibility of getting the job done. Staying visible also provides the manager with an opportunity to model positive engagement for their team.

2. Express optimism

The best managers are those who are able to see the glass as half full and can effectively communicate that perspective. Every business has its problems and challenges and if we choose to focus on them they will quickly and negatively impact employee morale. Instead, choose to focus on what's working, the positive aspects of the company and the team, and acknowledge and celebrate them frequently.

3. Provide clear direction and well defined objectives

In my work with teams I often find that a common source of frustration and confusion resulting in low morale is the absence of clear direction and well defined objectives. Make it a habit to revisit and review your team's objectives on a regular basis and invite questions concerning any confusion or ambiguity team members may be experiencing.

4. Provide regular feedback and keep team members informed

It's been said that what an employee is not up on they are automatically down on. In other words, if employees are not kept informed with relevant facts about what is happening within the team and organization they are more likely to resist and oppose new ideas and objectives. Employees who are consistently kept in the information loop and provided with relevant feedback concerning their specific performance are more likely to find satisfaction in their work and maintain greater morale.

5. Keep negative thoughts about leadership to yourself

In a healthy organization there are appropriate channels of communication that managers can use to express their concerns and opinions to those above them in leadership. Expressing negative opinions concerning the company's leadership will not only undermine staff morale, but it will lessen the amount of respect team members will have for their managers.

Although you as a manager do not want to express your negative thoughts and feelings to your team keep in mind that you will want to welcome and sincerely listen to the concerns expressed by those you lead.

6. Understand your team member's behavioral style

What exactly is a behavioral style? Simply stated, it's a "big picture" view of the way you are. It's the byproduct of a set of personal traits and characteristics that are inherited, learned through significant role models and influenced by early life experiences.

These traits and characteristics combined produce your personal strengths, needs, motivations, fears and weaknesses. An awareness of behavioral styles will help you understand and respect the differences between you and other people, thus reducing misunderstanding and conflict.

7. Request feedback and input

As stated earlier, to improve staff morale team members need to be given regular feedback related to their performance. It is equally important for managers to request feedback and input from your team. This feedback can be given in a one-on-one meeting or anonymously using a 360 degree survey.

Too many managers either assume they know what their team thinks about them, are too afraid to know or just don't care. After all, you're the boss and that's all that matters right?

You know what they say about those who assume, and avoidance fueled by fear is likely to come back to bite you in the back side. Not caring what your team thinks will, at the very least lead to underperformance, but more than likely will result in some form of mutiny.

Asking for feedback and input communicates that you value your team's observations, respect their ideas and are open to making appropriate changes. Keep in mind, however, it's important to give clear parameters to your team with regard to the type of feedback and input you are looking for and when you receive it be prepared to take action.

8. Acknowledge hard effort and success

When team members work especially hard and perform well make sure they know you're aware of it. You don't have to acknowledge every positive thing they do, but you do want to make sure they know that you don't take their contribution for granted and that it is sincerely appreciated. A pat on the back goes a long way in helping to fuel an employee's motivation and enthusiasm.

9. Follow through with commitments A manager's failure to follow through with commitments jeopardizes the amount of trust and confidence an employee is willing to give them. If you say you're going to do something - do it. Follow-through conveys character, dependability and respect.

When a manager fails to deliver on his or her promises team members often become cynical and pessimistic. Employees will also see their manager's lack of follow- through as a license to exhibit the same bad behavior.

10. Give both responsibility and authority

If you assign certain responsibilities to your team give them everything they need to succeed. Provide them with clear direction, the proper resources and the authority to make the decisions necessary to get the job done.

Assigning responsibility without authority is not only an exercise in frustration, but it can convey a lack of trust, reflect a need to over-control and foster a sense of dependency.

So as you put these tips into practice, remember: The better staff morale is, the more successful your employees will be; and their success is your success!

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Article Tags: corporate leadership, leadershiplow morale, low morale, management, performance, productivity, significant influence, staff morale, workplace relations



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