People are inherently aware of how those around them feel. The vibe someone gives off in any given setting is abundantly clear as part of human nature. The same principle applies to the workplace.
When everyone is feeling productive, supported, and content at work, it’s evident. And when they’re not, it’s equally as obvious. Some companies find themselves somewhere in the middle. Of course, finding a boost is always welcome no matter what state your employee attitudes may be in. Here are a few strategies to get everyone smiling.
1. Facilitate Stress Relief
While work provides a lot to employees — a paycheck and benefits, to start — it can also be stressful. Hard deadlines, executive expectations, and the self-imposed pressure to perform well can all weigh on a person. Coupled with stressors outside of work, it can be overwhelming and lead to low morale. That’s why focusing on stress relief is so critical in giving a much-needed boost.
Get creative with how you approach this because it should be fun! You can offer regular meetings focused on reducing stress like meditation, coloring, or yoga. Or focus on movement and install hands-on stress relief options like playground equipment or a gym. These opportunities for employees to let off some steam help make the workday in the office go smoother. Plus, they create a culture riddled with fun that can’t help but attract new talent.
2. Focus on Recognition
A job well done is worth highlighting and can do wonders for morale. Creating a culture of recognition and acknowledgment helps employees feel seen and appreciated. In turn, they’re often more motivated to continue doing their best work.
How you go about recognition depends on what works best for your team and budget. You could offer paid time off, hand out a trophy, or distribute gift cards. Even spotlighting great work in a team setting can do the trick. Ultimately, recognizing hard work and success reinvests team members and improves your work environment. Try a few different approaches and take note of what makes your workers feel seen.
3. Provide Flexibility
As much as people would like to go to work and fully focus on the tasks at hand, but that’s not always possible. Life happens, and it can understandably influence work. So, providing flexibility and compassion toward employees goes a long way.
If someone has kids, they may need to work around drop-off and pick-up times. If someone experiences a loss, maybe it’s best to reduce their workload or encourage them to take time off. It could even be structuring in-office days around big meetings instead of enforcing a strict schedule. All of these points of flexibility help employees balance everything they have going on, and that can help boost morale at work.
4. Establish Feedback Best Practices
There will undoubtedly be problems in the workplace. People will make mistakes and need to be made aware of what went wrong. Changes will be implemented that are met with mixed feelings. Leaders will fall short of expectations. Providing pointed feedback, however, is no easy feat.
Great companies with exceptional cultures have feedback down. They have created a system for receiving information — without repercussions — to get better. The biggest piece of this process? They implement change to reinforce their support of employees to ensure everyone feels respected. In return, employees feel better about work and know their voices are heard.
5. Be Transparent
Although they’re not always popular, business decisions need to be made. That includes reorganizing the organization chart and finding cost savings by reducing the use of expensive tools. These decisions all stem from the ultimate goal: Ensure the business is profitable. However, changes can also be a source of frustration that impacts company culture and how employees feel.
Lessen the impact of these influential choices by clearly explaining the reasoning behind them. Changing things up just for the sake of making a change isn’t going to suffice. But pointing out the cost savings or efficiencies that stand to be gained by doing so makes the decisions more palatable. Ultimately, keeping your team in the loop and aware of the why behind decisions increases inclusion and morale.
6. Invest in Leadership
While some people are naturally gifted leaders, most people can benefit from leadership training. And taking the extra step to invest in leaders at your company is a great way to create a positive culture. That, in turn, encourages better employee morale.
Whether through regular training sessions or access to leadership content, leaders need to understand best practices. They’re troubleshooting issues their teams are encountering, navigating touchy situations, and encouraging professionalism. However, that’s not always easy. As such, investing time and energy into leaders within the company helps make everyone better.
7. Offer Development Opportunities
People work for many reasons, namely to earn money. However, building a career and taking on new responsibilities are also motivators for succeeding at work. Creating development opportunities for your employees can go a long way in facilitating a positive work environment.
One way to approach this is through employee journey mapping for team members. Clearly outline the steps their career could take at your company and the expectations required to reach each of those. This reinforces your commitment to supporting and growing their career while also identifying a clear path for them to stay with the company. When people feel respected and challenged, they’re encouraged to stick around.
Love What You Do
Regardless of the additional benefits you provide, work is always going to be work. There will be good days and bad, like with anything. However, investing in best practices to make your work environment more positive will pay dividends. After all, high employee morale is contagious.
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.