Employee morale is a key indicator of the health of your company. Your employees’ motivation and participation are the foundation on which your success rests, so there’s hardly anything more important than to make sure they’re feeling good.
Consistently monitoring employee morale via established feedback channels is an essential element of good management in today’s business environment. But what do you do if the feedback you receive is less than stellar?
As they say, knowing is half the battle. The other half, of course, is taking action. Here are five actions you can take to boost morale when it’s flagging.
Prioritize your employees’ work-life balance
Employees who feel that work is taking over their lives are apt to be unhappy, but they’re less than likely to complain to the boss about it for fear of looking insufficiently dedicated. That’s why the first place to look for the cause of tanking morale is your employees’ ability to balance their work and their lives. Are your employees working late, emailing at all hours and showing signs of being overwhelmed? Do the ones who have asked for flexible schedules have them? Is remote work an option for some or all? Put yourself in your employees’ shoes and think about whether their lives might be a little too work-focused for their own good. Then make changes to correct the imbalance.
Cultivate two-way trust
Employees feel valued when they trust you and when they perceive that you trust them. This isn’t a state of affairs that just arises on its own — two-way trust has to be cultivated as part of your company culture. To help them trust you, create an ethos of transparency by sharing how you make important decisions and the standards you use to set policies that affect them.
Then show that you trust them by, well, trusting them. Take the attitude that you won’t look over their shoulders as long as they’re getting their work done well and on time. Work on open, authentic, transparent communications so all employees feel valued and included. When considering morale, it is critical to assure that your team’s goals and values are in sync with your businesses. And clear communication is the only way to genuinely align your employees with your company’s mission.
Proactively build relationships with your workers
Some business leaders may think saying “my door is always open” is enough to make employees feel their voices are valued. But think of that as the bare minimum you should do — a place to start. After you’ve made sure your employees know they can always come to you with questions and concerns, find ways to reach out to build your relationship with them and cultivate a deep sense of rapport and trust.