A boss who disregards the efforts of their staff can create a feeling of insignificance in the group, according to eAcademy. Over time, this leads to a negative attitude, decreased productivity, and low morale. The team is not inspired and no new ideas are presented to solve problems. On the other hand, a proactive manager who listens to and values employee opinions can cultivate a positive atmosphere.
This will make employees feel that their opinions are important and can generate an influx of new ideas to help solve company issues. Employee morale can change at any time, and some of the reasons for that change may not be work-related. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many people to drastically alter their daily work routines. Leadership is one of the key factors influencing employee morale.
An employee with an inspirational leader who leads with transparency and authenticity, encourages them to do their best work, provides constructive feedback that allows them to grow and succeed, and models the kind of positive behaviors they want to see in that employee, is much more likely to feel empowered and valued. Despite this, many organizations don't recognize how essential it is for employees to have a proper balance between work and personal life. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the work and family lives of many employees to clash when they were asked to work from home. As this Global News article states, work-from-home directives have blurred the distinction between working and non-working hours, leading to employee exhaustion.
Do you ask your employees how they feel about their work? Do you have a secure (and, when necessary, anonymous) way for employees to provide feedback not only to their managers but also to the management team? Monitoring employee morale can be as simple as conducting an annual survey to assess employee engagement, job satisfaction, and more. One of the most effective ways to improve employee morale is through frequent communication. In the recent 15Five workplace report, we found that 82% of employees who have at least one weekly one-on-one meeting say they receive the support they need from their managers during the pandemic, compared to 66% of those who have less frequent one-on-one meetings. However, keeping up with your teams on a regular basis and ensuring that managers do the same with their direct reports can be impossible without the right tools and daily practices.
If team leaders begin to see an increase in turnover rate, it is necessary to start implementing strategies to avoid a drop in morale. While many business owners believe that employee morale is based on gifts, free food, ping-pong tables and happy hours, Rachel Lanham, director of customer service at Voodle, says that the most important thing is to ensure that the team fits the company's values and objectives - and that the only way to achieve this is through clear communication. When the manager excludes his team and does not seek to work on developing teamwork, morale drops and the group becomes ineffective. Since the toxic behavior of an imbecile has a negative impact on the morale of all team members, their productivity comes at the expense of others.
However, employee morale affects a large percentage of your workforce - whether you want to recognize it or not. An effective manager works with employees to strengthen the bond of teamwork within the staff and between boss and employee. Try one of these five areas we've discussed today and you'll be surprised how your actions can impact employee morale as well as productivity. On the other hand, an employee with a leader who demonstrates a lack of trust in that employee, micromanages trends or does not provide adequate feedback can make them feel disengaged, devalued and unmotivated. If there are frequent changes in leadership, employees don't have enough time to establish a relationship with their manager. Whether it's learning a new skill or having a clear path to promotion they want - even modest efforts on your part as a manager can go a long way.
According to Human Nature at Work website it is important for managers to discuss progress with the group itself in order to help develop relationships and learn how to work better as a team.
