Post by ofrancesconi on Jun 10, 2021 14:49:05 GMT
A. Write an article (no more than 500 words) that offers insight into the elements that you feel build and maintain staff morale. Be specific and give examples as appropriate. Please post your article on the Discussion Board.
Does the ‘Increase Staff Morale To-Do List’ Work?
I recall being tasked with a management role where I adopted a highly dysfunctional team. They were disengaged, had no previous manager, were unclear on their tasks and generally unhappy. I also came to quickly realize that they did not want me there. They were almost content in their state of unhappiness. Our engagement scores were anything but positive!
Like all good managers desperate to build positive staff morale and increase ‘happiness’, I mentally created my ‘To do staff morale list’. I suggested a team development day. Response: ‘I don’t do scheduled fun’. I then tried a team strategy day to get clear on our team mission and roles. It was aimed to determine why we are here and what each person’s purpose was. Research shows that purpose plays a significant part in employee engagement (4). There was resistance around change and debating on who had what responsibilities. Things were not looking good!
Then I leveraged the Gallup’s Strengths Finder (5), identifying people’s strengths. After all, people are more engaged and happier when they are doing something they love and are good at. It did prove to be a helpful tool and helped identify how we can best function as a team.
Following on from that, I introduced flexible work from home arrangements (with research showing that that 80% of workers would choose a job that offers a flexible schedule (6)). We also started celebrating birthdays to help increase connection. Many of my 1-1 meetings were ‘walk and talk’ meetings to not only provide feedback but connect outside of the office. I was starting to see people laughing more, attending ‘scheduled fun events’ like team lunches, and having more satisfaction in their roles.
Yes, my ‘How to increase staff morale checklist’ was reasonably successful but what worked the most was being an authentic and genuine leader. Because increasing staff morale isn’t just about the research and ticking the boxes, it’s also about trial-and-error, being vulnerable, and genuinely connecting with each other.