7 Effective Methods to Boost the Morale of Your Team
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When your workers have a sense of purpose and motivation, they are more likely to be engaged in their work, which in turn has a positive effect on the output of the entire team. Happy employees equals happy clients! You obviously have a vested interest in the quality of the work that your team produces, but you also have a responsibility to make a contribution to the job satisfaction of the members of your team. Keeping the morale of your team high can be accomplished through a variety of strategies, some of which may be more effective than others depending on the members of your group.
1. Make them feel valued
People crave the affirmation of others and are thrilled when they are singled out for their contributions, particularly in the presence of their contemporaries. Praise can go a long way toward making people feel like they are contributing to the success of the team and the goals they have set. It doesn’t have to cost you a lot, and there are plenty of options available to choose from. For example, you could award a voucher for a meal out or a bottle of wine to a member of your team who brought in a new client during the previous week.
2. Clear frequent communication
Your team’s success can be greatly impacted by its ability to communicate effectively and frequently. Staff members do not appreciate being kept in the dark about any issues. Take a look at how you currently communicate significant information to the members of your team. Do you send them via email? Or through the office chit chat that takes place while someone is making tea in the kitchen. Exist any avenues or methods through which you could make improvements? Catching up with employees once a week for ten minutes could potentially head off problems in the early stages or clear up any confusion.
3. Encourage career progression
When an employee perceives that there is little room for advancement within the company, they may feel as though they have nothing to strive for. Make sure that staff members have additional responsibilities to take on so that they can gain more experience and improve their chances of being promoted. Offer employees the chance to further their education and careers while simultaneously demonstrating that you have faith in their abilities.
4. Create a positive working environment
The environment of an office can have a significant bearing on how productively people are able to work. It is almost certain that disruptions to the workflow will occur whenever there is contention or negativity; therefore, you should ensure that appropriate platforms are provided for employee feedback.
Have fun with them, and make them feel like they’re contributing to the team. Do you take part in charity events or celebrate special occasions like birthdays? Why not raise some money for a good cause while also boosting the morale of your staff at the same time?
5. Give them responsibility
If an employee is only given simple, repetitive work to do, they will eventually become dissatisfied with their position. In a similar vein, if someone has been given an excessive amount of work, they may struggle under the pressure. Make it a point to delegate tasks to employees that will keep their days interesting and varied.
6. Define their career paths
It is essential, in addition to preparing your staff for opportunities for advancement, to demonstrate to them the direction in which you see them heading and to offer assistance in reaching that destination. Regular appraisals and the setting of goals provide an excellent setting for this, and they also provide an excellent opportunity to review and complement the work of your employees.
7. Employee surveys
An anonymous employee survey is a useful tool for gathering information about how staff members really feel about their jobs. The results of the survey may bring to light problems that you were previously unaware of and provide insight into necessary adjustments for your organization. Maintain communication with your staff by posting the monthly results in an area where they can be easily seen.
Staff appraisals provide an official channel through which employers can learn how their employees are feeling; however, you may find that this method makes employees less willing to talk to you directly. Having a suggestion box that people can use to leave their fresh ideas in is yet another method for gathering the perspectives of others.
It is in your best interest to perform frequent checks on the emotional state of your workforce and to devise a variety of channels through which they can provide open and candid commentary. This will also be beneficial to your company when it comes time to hire new staff members, as you will be able to clearly demonstrate to potential new employees the various ways in which you motivate your current staff members.