As an employer, though, you do control large components of the environment in which employees work each day. It is all too common to walk into an organization and notice things like waning motivation and negative attitudes, particularly when diverse teams are collaborating and critical missions exert pressure to perform on time with accuracy and efficiency. High Morale in a Good Cause. Factors that can contribute to positive employee morale include the following: You can measure your organization's success, in part, by measuring employee satisfaction. Offering above industry-average benefits and compensation. Second, the leader is creating more success for the team by increasing the number of leaders. Offering open and regular communication about issues important to employees. To reach the goal of high morale, a leader needs to: Effect adjustments that improve the team. Phase Two: Low Morale – The Leader Delivers Results. At the point when an employee shares a goal with the organization they work for and are sure about the direction, the employee feels they are part of a mutual goal that is greater than they are and adds to an organization's prosperity. A high morale means the employee is satisfied with the job, puts in effort, is creative, takes initiative, is committed to the organization and focuses on achieving organizational goals rather than personal goals. High morale may lead to greater productivity, but it’s not the only factor. Avoid, Treating employees as if they are one of your organization’s most significant resources. Leaders boost the value of team members by situating them in their most suitable niches. ... High Morale and High Productivity: Employees want to feel as if they are valued equally with other employees and held in serious regard by the senior team of leaders. According to the Harvard Business Review, the definition of good morale is that people’s emotions contribute to, rather than subtract from, the unit achieving its goals. The superstars on the team supply excellence at critical points, and even the minor members of the team appear to be performing above their typical competencies. Morale 2. In his article “7 Reasons to Care About Employee Morale,” performance management specialist Stuart Hearn shares that high morale at work has multiple benefits – employee retention, increased productivity, stronger work relationships, and fewer sick days to name a few. High morale can be described as a positive attitude and high satisfaction levels towards work, coupled with the willingness to freely give one’s best in the workplace. First, the leader is making new leaders for the team. If you empower your people by growing them, you aid them and the team to move towards victory. These factors have a negative affect on performance and productivity. In the words of McFarland, high morale exists when employee attitudes are favourable to the total situation of a group and to the attainment of its objectives. You may already subscribe to the concept that when you’re winning, nothing hurts. She has covered HR for The Balance Careers since 2000. If you don’t have much pull, then use your position to show excellence by example. a. Phase Three: Moderate Morale – The Leader Must Work Hard. The mood can be so intense that it holds you up through the training, hurts, and cost associated with high-level accomplishments. To develop higher morale, that needs to happen. That confidence comes at first from you, the leader. Every opportunity appears to go in your favor. The relationship with their immediate manager and their communication and interaction with the senior managers are also significant. High morale in the workplace is essential to success and is mostly influenced by the top-down rather than from the bottom up. 6465 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 320 St. Louis Park, 55426, Business Leadership and Team Building Responsive Website Design by One Wheel Marketing, The Laws of Teamwork, Business Leadership, Business, Minneapolis Business, Minneapolis leadership coaching, Minneapolis business coaching, Click here to learn how to develop high morale on your team, Business Leadership and Team Building Responsive Website Design. Difficult determinations need to occur to take the team to the next level. Feeling part of the goals that are bigger than themselves (and their job) contributes significantly to positive employee morale. It is a function of drives and needs. “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all… As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength,” said G.K. Chesterton. At first, any positive activity by the team or leader is a success. How to Reduce Employee Resistance to Change in the Workplace, Here's How You Can Encourage and Inspire Employee Motivation, Find Out How Zappos Reinforces Its Company Culture. You can see why there’s value in keeping team members engaged and going in the right direction. For a player’s part, the solution is to have a good attitude, at all times contribute your finest, and hold up the players and leaders on your team. Employees who … We often talk about morale in the workplace. How much impact does morale truly have? As the leader, that’s your role. When a team is on a losing streak, everything hurts. Enjoy successes. A big morale booster during the war was being awarded with a furlough home. To obtain the benefits of the Law of High Morale, don’t wait for high morale to happen. Your commitment and passion will better your performance – and will enthuse some of your teammates. Momentum is a leader’s ally. But which comes first: elevated morale or victory? For a sports team experiencing high morale, everyone is their fan. It’s critical to maintain high morale in order to increase retention, but it’s often difficult to get an accurate read on how employees feel and what is causing them to be dissatisfied.� More leaders equal more success. And seeing to these details gives a return of improvement. Obtain the cooperation of team members. As leaders, we’re taught that a number of factors contribute to high morale—empowering subordinates, extending recognition, listening to and accepting input, sharing information, treating everyone with respect, and providing a strong example for others to follow. It’s a factor we strive to improve. How (and Why) to Foster Employee Satisfaction, How Employees Can Contribute to a Positive Work Environment, How You Can Best Demonstrate Respect in the Workplace, How to Show Employees That Your Company Values Diversity and Inclusion. When a leader grooms teammates to lead and then allows them to do so, that brings about two advantages. If team members disengage or go astray, then the successes will disappear. Contributors to Positive Employee Morale When employees have confidence in the capability of their company leadership, they tend to have positive morale. These actions, combined with a positive work environment, contribute to consistently high morale. When an employee is unsure what is expected of them (and hence experience a lack of accomplishment) morale is low. Do You Have What It Takes to Become a Successful Leader People Follow? Poor morale among employees is likely to result in _____. Sustain the team’s engagement and direction. A team will transform when the team members have confidence in themselves. That’s usually the attitude of a losing team. Is the team really outstanding? For starters, it's as simple as rewarding and recognizing the managers who best display the characteristics you want to see in their interactions with employees. Phase Four: High Morale – The Leader Must Have a Light Touch. Many employees want to feel as if they are part of something important and contributing to success for the greater good is a real morale booster. Understanding what they’re doing well improves people’s chances of continuing to do well. Generate energy. Then someone else will. Build up relationships with team members of promise. Employee loyalty 3. High morale is the ultimate success builder. If you can make all that happen, you will be in a position to drive the team forward. They also need current information so that the decisions they make are congruent with their success in the company. Convey hope. This is because elevated morale amplifies what is constructive about a team. Strong leaders go out of their way to recognize individuals for their accomplishments. Educational Leadership, v71 n5 p14-18 Feb 2014. The ideas in this blog post were taken from John Maxwell’s book, The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork. Again, start with the team members with the most promise. A deep focus on serving the needs of customers also promotes positive employee morale. If you are the leader of a team, begin by assessing the phase of morale your team is in: Poor morale: The team is losing and is discouraged. Impart vision. A sharp team with high morale will utilize that space to take chances and test innovative ideas. When a team is triumphant, then morale is elevated. When they share a vision for where the company is headed and are positive about the direction, employees also exhibit high morale. The team could be benefitting from high morale. Susan Heathfield is an HR and management consultant with an MS degree. contribute to high morale. Express confidence in yourself and your team members. Low morale increases the level of turnover and automatically leads to the inability to reach the settled goals. Team members grow to be more dedicated and selfless. There can be various levels of morale and productivity, and the highest standard for companies to strive for is high productivity-high morale. But motivation is something that moves a person to action. When employees dislike their manager and compete with co-workers for attention and appreciation, morale is generally low. Displaying dedication to the team’s vision is one element of convincing people that you are leading them. You need to use your position to show excellence by example, but you must do more. They need assistance, and so they need a leader. Leadership Leads to Consistently High Morale by Keith Johnston. A large number of people are unable to succeed by themselves.