How to improve your employee’s morale

According to Forbes magazine, this is the definition of employee's morale:

"... the attitude, satisfaction, and overall outlook of employees during their association with an organization or a business."

So it is the managers' job to improve their employee's morale by any means necessary.

Why? Because high morale means a productivity and efficiency increase in the workplace. Also, when employees enjoy the work environment, that gives a competitive edge: if there is a problem that threatens the company, a high-morale and motivated staff will put all their effort and intelligence together to overcome the issue.

Then, if you are ready to boost your employee's morale, take a look at these tips and think about how to implement them in your management style.

Support your employees in times of loss

Publicly acknowledging a worker's successes boosts morale, but being aware of and supporting setbacks in their personal life is invaluable. In difficult times, your employee may feel alone and cut off from the world, and receiving your support generates a permanent feeling of gratitude.

If an employee is having a difficult time, a personal note offering your support and help (even if there is nothing you can do) will be a gesture that will not go away so easily. This is a good way to improve your employee morale.

Be a transparent leader

Employees are smart and notice when something is not working the way it should. If there is a problem in the company, instead of hiding it, discuss it with your team.

Being transparent builds trust and provides psychological stability to employees, while it is quite possible that they themselves will come up with suggestions and solutions to the problem you are dealing with. Don't underestimate them: they are very smart, that's why you hired them.

Bring pets to work

Pets in the workplace are scientifically proven to decrease worker stress, boost productivity and increase team morale. In addition, they demonstrate the sensitive and human side of your employees.

So you can well implement a pet day in the office, with the appropriate hygiene and vaccination measures. Or a pet presentation round, if your team works remotely.

No to toxicity

No matter how much technical ability an employee may have: acting like an idiot is not good for team morale. The first thing is to meet with them, find out if there is a problem and alert them to changingtheir attitude.

If the employee persists in being toxic to others and their attitude is affecting the workplace, perhaps it is time to invite them to try their luck elsewhere. Toxic employees, in addition to morale, affect productivity and that cannot be tolerated. This is a fundamental way to improve your employee's morale.

Encourage gratitude

Gratitude reduces the level of aggression, increases productivity and decreases stress. So it is a quick and accurate solution to boost morale in a work team.

With a simple whiteboard in the office, you can encourage workers to appreciate the good little things that happen to them in and out of the office, sharing with everyone. In meetings, take the first five minutes to be grateful for the good things the team has done. This undoubtedly encourages and boost your relationship with your employees.

Encourage personal development

One of the fears of an employee is to stagnate at work and not improving professionally.

Therefore, if the supervisor is interested in and promotes constant personal development, the worker will be motivated and his commitment to the company will be greater. Creating opportunities for your workers to participate in courses, conferences, events and other academic activities builds morale.

This is a fundamental way to improve your employee's morale and empower them to become autonomous.

Train better supervisors

It is not enough that you understand the importance of having a team with high morale. All middle managers should be educated on this same policy. Therefore, they must improve their skills in emotional intelligence, communication, feedback and recognition, and other leadership styles.

So, investing time and money in training them is a great strategies to increase morale.

Reduce the number of meetings

Although person-to-person communication is more effective and efficient than cold emails, having a lot of meetings throughout the week saps team morale. Why? Because during them the worker is not solving their pending issues, and cutting thier working day due to a meeting generates stress and diverts theirconcentration.

So at least one day a week, clear your workers' calendar and allow them to dive into work without distractions or wasted time.

Promote a green environment

It is scientifically proven that plants in the office improve team morale, in addition to providing oxygen to the environment. If there are no funds for a plant wall, a small cactus on each workbench can do the trick. A touch of green is enough for each worker to feel calmer and more motivated.

Facilitate charity

Supporting a just cause is known to boost morale. If you facilitate or promote among employees that they can contribute to a charity, either with time or money, they will be encouraged.

Of course, these cannot be imposed. But if you report on the possible causes to support and leteveryone vote on where the effort will be directed, your employees will surely be happy to help.

Exercise in the office

Asian companies were pioneers in promoting physical exercise among their workers. This not only boosts morale, it reduces healthcare costs at the expense of the company. Exercise, moreover, brings employees closer together and reduces stress in the office.

If one of your employees is a fitness enthusiast, you can have them run that short space for exercise in the office. It is possible that among your workers there is a true Pilates, Yoga or Zumba teacher.

Promote talent

In addition to their technical skills, your employees have many more dimensions and interests. Among them there may be true artists or connoisseurs of a thousand subjects.

So why not give them a chance to show what they know? From topical talks to skills competitions, from book clubs to conferences, as a manager you can support and fund many activities that boost morale among employees and make the office an environment of exchange.

Take frequent surveys

Employees want to be heard, and as a manager, surveys are the ideal way to get feedback from your employees. These should not be extensive or frequent, and after completing  their results should be made public.

Of course, the intention of the survey is not only to know the state of opinion on an issue, but to take action on it. If the poll is conducted to decide on an problem and everyone's opinion is respected, morale will undoubtedly rise.

Make the office fun

Healthy laughter boosts morale and releases tension among office employees. Without affecting work, allow for jokes and an atmosphere of collective joy that makes everyone happier.

Be careful: humor should always be aimed at making employees laugh with someone, not at someone. If the jokes start to attack a worker directly, tackle them immediately: bullying at work is unacceptable.

Let recognition be felt

If you value your employees, show it. We all need the approval of our superiors to feel comfortable and confident that we are doing things right. This is a proven fact: according to Psychology Today, praise from co-workers is a motivator for 73% of employees.

A strong recognition and rewards system is, without a doubt, a surefire way to boost employee morale.

Encourage work-life balance

In addition to their responsibilities to the company, workers are human beings who are experiencing difficulties and need to have a stable personal life so that their morale does not decline.

If as a manager you treat them as people and recognize that they need time for themselves, they will always be on your side. Listen to their difficulties, allow flexible hours, encourage work from home if necessary... as your workers manage their personal lives with less stress, productivity and morale in the office will increase.

Evaluate the advantages and benefits of your company

Company benefits are important to employees, make them feel valued, and boost morale. Therefore, they should be reviewed periodically to increase them if possible.

Take real lunch breaks

Instead of everyone eating lunch at their own desk, encourage workers to go outside during lunch breaks and have a relaxed time, away from their work station.

According to Forbes magazine, this greatly increases morale and allows when the worker returns to their desk to perform better. You can even invite them to go somewhere nearby as a group: this increases relationships between co-workers and makes office time more fun.

Customize rewards

If you are going to entertain a worker, you can do it with a personalized object beyond the simple gift.

This shows the appreciation you have  for the worker and the knowledge about their tastes and personality, while stimulating the rest of the team to give their best. These gifts are also a reminder of the commitment to the company, and reinforce the morale and sense of belonging of the workers.

Run a calm, healthy and well organized company

Last but not least, make sure that your team is not pushed to the limit all the time.

Even if working under stress is a great strategy for some, working under pressure for a long time will lead to low morale. It is a good idea to offer an EAP (employee assistance program) to deal with problems and stress, and help your team work through issues.