Team morale is extremely important but is often overlooked. Team morale refers to the motivation, enthusiasm, and optimism existing among a group of people with a common goal.
Adequate team morale can make the difference between a lagging company and a rich, vibrant one. When morale is high, employees perform better and can become just as invested in the success of the company as the business owner is.
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As a business owner, it might be tempting to ignore team morale. Maybe you’ve even found yourself thinking: But everything is fine. What’s my concern with morale? I care about gaining new customers and getting my name out there! I need to start diversifying my business! As long as my staff is getting paid, morale isn’t important. This sort of thinking is misguided. Apart from the fact that employee morale directly influences the success of marketing strategies, customer service, and company reputation, making daily efforts to maintain team motivation will serve you in the event of a crisis.
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Crises, like the ongoing pandemic, for example, tend to result in plummeting morale. Putting a morale-boosting company culture in place will actually serve to minimise the hits your company takes during a crisis! Thus, in this article, we’ll go through some of the quickest and best ways your management can boost morale during hard times.
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6 Ways To Boost Team Morale
Give Positive Feedback
Positive feedback is a reinforcer. By providing positive reviews about an employee’s work when they do something right, you reinforce their good performance. Similarly, when a team member goes the extra mile, be sure to offer positive feedback.
The power of positive feedback is that it draws attention to the behaviour you want a team member to maintain. It also recognises the effort it took to get there. And most people love having their effort acknowledged.
There are lots of ways to give positive feedback. You can do this with a verbal compliment, a brief email, a text message, or even a handwritten note (if you want to be quaint). Furthermore, if team members interact directly with clients, be sure to pass on any positive feedback you get from the client. Doing so in front of the entire team is even more encouraging. When people are recognised for their work, they are more willing to go above and beyond the goals of the company. This does wonder for team motivation.
Of course, be sure to pass on constructive, negative feedback as well. However, do this privately whenever possible. It goes without saying that constructive criticism is useful to improve work performance.
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Organise Fun Events
“Fun” is a pretty versatile word. It ranges from buying your entire team lunch a few times a month to after-work drinks to holiday parties at the office. Nothing boosts team morale like play. Fun, non-work related events give employees the chance to interact with their co-workers in a more relaxed context, which is great for morale.
Furthermore, leisure events give your team the opportunity to form relationships with people who work in other departments, people they otherwise wouldn’t interact with. This contributes to increased engagement, higher job satisfaction, and lubricates social interactions when it’s time for collaboration. In fact, well-engaged employees can be up to 40% more productive than those who are less so, according to a study by the Workplace Research Foundation.
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Promote Volunteering And Community-Service
It is a well-documented fact that the main component of stress and suffering is negative thinking. Fortunately, serving others in the community – underserved schools, orphanages, and environmental centres – can be a great way to relieve anxiety. Service helps to increase happiness and gives a sense of purpose and meaning in life. It allows one to shift focus from their troubles. Additionally, encouraging employees to volunteer develops an altruistic company culture. This is positive for both your business and your staff.
Be sure to look into service opportunities you can do as a team so that everyone can participate.
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Show That You Care
It’s not difficult at all to show others that you care about their well-being. You can do this, even in a professional manner, by asking how others are doing and feeling. This means that you’ll have to talk with your team members regularly.
It’s no surprise that being listened to makes most people feel appreciated. Bearing this in mind, ask your employees what they think and pay attention to their answers. Not only does this do wonders for team morale, but it allows you to understand your own company better.
Another great way to show your team that you care is to recognise every birthday. I know a company with around 10 employees that purchase birthday cakes for each employee’s birthday. And it works so well! If you have many employees, a birthday cake might not be feasible. However, a card or an email would go a very long way.
Also, while you’re at it, send congratulations and/or little gifts at weddings or house-warming announcements. Showing that you care helps create an easy, amicable relationship between you and employees, which ensures that they put in their best, which also makes collaboration more fruitful.
See also: 10 Ways To Show That You Care
Give Rewards
This method is loosely related to the first one on our list. You might have assumed that paying your employees their wages is enough “reward” for their work. And while this is true in some ways, it is understandable that people also appreciate special recognition for their efforts. You can do this by giving out rewards. Small and unique rewards like gift cards for free massages, gift baskets at the end of the year, or food after a project well-done can make your team feel validated and valued. Validation is an important boost to the human psyche.
Promote A Common Goal
Right from the beginning, potential candidates and soon to be employees need to know what your company’s vision is. It is important to make your employees understand what they’re working towards, what the bigger picture is all about. Understanding this vision, this common goal is a huge motivator. In fact, with employees who have a clear picture of where the company is going, business growth is a must.
Furthermore, when everyone shares a common goal, it is easier to retain talent, decrease employee turnover, and heighten a sense of purpose. Team morale is easy to maintain in these circumstances.
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What these 6 powerful suggestions have in common is caring, appreciation, and compassion. With these tips and suggestions, you can take your company even further than you ever dreamed. Moreover, your organisation will develop a reputation for treating its employees well. This will lead to a higher-quality candidate pool made up of people who want to grow with your company.
How about you? What other ways do you think team morale can be boosted? Let us know in the comments below!
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