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Poor staff morale can be a common problem for managers, but by using the right leadership skills you can give the working environment a boost.
Disgruntled workers are less likely to be productive and can even bring previously high-performing employees down with them.
This makes tackling poor morale a priority, but remember that your attitude and approach set the scene for the rest of the office – so stay positive!
These tips should help you to make employees feel more valued and create a more optimistic workplace.
Create personalised career tracks
Workers can often become disillusioned if they feel there is nothing left for them to achieve in their current role – or perhaps they’re not aware of the opportunities open to them.
Have one-on-ones with each of your staff members and see what their general career goals are and try to formulate a plan that helps them to meet their aims.
Find out what skills they want to learn, what their ideal role is and estimate a realistic timeline for achieving this.
Offer flexible working
Flexible working is becoming an increasingly common feature of the modern workplace, with research showing it helps to improve productivity and enhance employee satisfaction.
Giving your staff the opportunity to occasionally work from home or switch their hours around shows you value a healthy work-life balance, which will be much appreciated.
You may also find your employees are more loyal if you’re willing to be flexible, ensuring better talent retention.
Employee perks
People like to have something to look forward to; it motivates them to get their work done and relieves stress.
Coming up with a list of employee perks shouldn’t take long and it doesn’t have to be cost prohibitive – some of the best ideas are the cheapest.
Whether it’s casual Fridays, team baking days, free lunches or cash bonuses for hitting targets, there are plenty of ways in which you can inspire your workers to do their best.
Occasionally, you may also want to put on bigger social events such as barbecues, Christmas parties or office picnics – these give workers the chance to build new friendships or strengthen old ones, encouraging better teamwork.
Encourage communication
Opening up the lines of communication between management and employees is vital for boosting morale, as it allows staff to have their opinions heard and it ensures they feel fully in the know on the company’s direction.
Remember, this is a two-way street and while you may listen to your personnel’s thoughts and grievances, if you do nothing with that information then it’s unlikely the office mood will change.
By talking with your employees, you may find they have some excellent ideas on how the business could operate more efficiently – ideas you may not have considered.
Let your hair down
While there are some benefits of having autocratic leaderships skills and ruling with an iron fist, good staff morale is rarely one of them!
Just because you are light-hearted and bring humour to the office, doesn’t necessarily mean you are a pushover.
If you’re an approachable supervisor, people will enjoy working for you and are more likely to go out of their way to do a good job.
However, there is always a contingent that may take your kindness for a weakness, so make sure your bright and breezy nature doesn’t interfere with productivity.
Brighten the office space
A dreary office with banks of computers and grey wallpaper can be a serious dampener on morale.
Interesting artwork, green plants and even a completely new paint job can revitalise your working environment and lead to happier staff.
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