It’s been a tough year, but things are getting back to normal. How is your team’s morale? Are they happy to be back, or are they working for the weekend? In many areas, restaurants, bars, and other fun activities are opening back up. Add summer weather, and people are unfocused, and morale suffers. Here are four conversations you can have with your team.
Listening Session
One of the best ways to improve morale is to take the time to listen to your employees. Figure out what their struggles are before coming up with solutions on your own. For example, you might think logo ballcaps would foster a sense of camaraderie, and they might. But if you solicit input from your team, you may find that what they would rather have is upgraded anti-fatigue mats, so they’re not so tired at the end of their shift.
Big Picture Sharing
When people do the same thing every day, they can forget how their job fits into the company overall. Talk about the company’s objectives for the year and how their work helps the company achieve them. Consider a year-end bonus if the metrics are overachieved. Working toward a common goal can be a real morale booster and help to give all jobs more meaning. A little competition can help as well if you have various teams performing comparable work.
Positive Feedback
Employees always hear when they fail to meet expectations. But are managers as eager to speak up when their team members do an outstanding job or go above and beyond? If you praise people publicly, they feel great, but their coworkers can also see that effort is recognized. Don’t always focus on the best or fastest, for example. Sometimes an employee with a great attitude can influence the whole team in a positive way. Don’t be stingy with your praise.
Casual Conversation
Take advantage of the summer weather for a bit of outdoor time and non-work conversation. Hire an ice cream truck to pull up outside the building or have managers grill hot dogs. With people more relaxed you can have honest conversations, and best of all, people can just go out on their breaks, so you don’t even need to lose any time.
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