We all know first-hand that the past 12 months have been challenging to say the least. The shifts and transitions within business and personal life that have taken place in order to continue on have proven that we are resilient and we can do hard things. That being said, it feels we’ve been doing hard things for a long time now and a lot of people are feeling burnt out.
Here are a few suggestions to consider if you’re looking to boost employee morale within your business.
1. STAY CONNECTED
Staying connected while working from home is crucial. This helps to mitigate feelings of isolation and allows for human interaction to continue on safely. If you’re not already, we recommend scheduling weekly or monthly meetings for your whole team. This can be a time to check in on projects, see where everything and everyone is at and make sure any speed bumps or concerns are being addressed.
Utilizing tools such as Microsoft Teams or Slack are another great way for employees to be able to quickly connect without filling each other's email inboxes, this has become the digital version of popping by someone’s office to ask a quick question. This is also a great way to improve your team's internal communication! You can learn more about this in our Bold Leadership Program.
It’s also important to do individual check-in’s to see how your team is doing on a more personal level. This should be done by someone (or a team of people) who are going to connect well with others, listen to what they have to say, and be able to report any concerns to the change makers within the organization. Whether you have an HR department or not, you should have someone dedicated to checking in with your team regularly.
Another thing to consider is scheduling time to connect and NOT discuss work-related issues. Set aside some time for your team to connect on a more fun and laid-back level.
2. TRUST & EMPOWER
Whether your team is working from home or adjusting to new ways of doing business, it’s been a transition for everyone. Trusting and empowering each other removes stress and helps boost morale. It encourages team members to take chances and be innovative, while also giving them a sense of purpose and encouraging confidence.
Trusting and empowering your employees can include: front-line decision making which allows your team members to make decisions without “checking with their manager”; sharing access to information and data that relates to their role and the overall company goals; providing positive reinforcement and support to all employees to ensure they don’t feel isolated from the team. When team members feel valued and empowered, they are more likely to perform at their best and be more loyal to the company. In times of such uncertainty and transition, being able to ground yourself in your work and feel confident in your abilities is comforting.
3. CELEBRATE
Celebrate with your team! The milestones, the accomplishments and the little things in between. We encourage you to celebrate personal milestones as well as business related ones. Have a 4pm “Cheers” on Zoom for someone’s birthday and send them a balloon, congratulate team members for their accomplishments that month and their contributions to the company’s success. At AWE, we’ve been using an online greeting card that everyone on the team can sign digitally!
Encourage your team to share personal wins as well! Whether they’ve increased the amount of kilometers on their runs, or survived another week of home-schooling their kids, creating a space for them to share these accomplishments fosters a team atmosphere that is supportive and encouraging.
Recognizing and celebrating your team's accomplishments is a great way to create a positive company culture and reinstate that your team is valued. We’ve been reminded this past year that celebrating the little wins is hugely important, so incorporating this into your company culture will be sure to boost employee morale.
4. REQUEST FEEDBACK
No one expected the shifts and transitions of 2020. Some of them were done as temporary fixes that have now lasted much longer than originally planned and were never given a second thought. Maybe these things are working for your team and customers, but perhaps they’re not.
Checking in with your team and customers is a great way to get a pulse on how things are going. This will allow you to see if further adjustments need to be made to ensure that things are continuing on as smoothly as possible, while maintaining whatever restrictions are in place in your area. Your team works within your business every day, they know the ins and outs of the company and your customers. Seeking their feedback is valuable information that should be considered and implemented within reason when possible.
Implementing a few or all of these suggestions is a sure way to boost the morale of your team. We can guarantee that the majority of them will appreciate the efforts, and their loyalty to your business will only be strengthened. After all, ensuring that your employees are happy should be a priority as a business owner and these small changes can make a huge difference in their overall happiness and ensuring they feel they are a valued member of your company.
