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 Low morale leads to high turnover, dwindling productivity, dissension in the ranks, and misery for everyone involved.
What’s the solution?
A pizza party? Well, maybe . . . if employees are hangry. Ping pong tables? Well, maybe . . . if employees are college freshmen.
Usually, more systemic factors drive low morale:
- burnout from too much work or lack of variety in work
- frustration about lack of upward mobility
- resentment over being unheard and unseen
- disconnection from the goals of the company
- disenfranchisement from the success of the company
- hostility from others in the workspace
- exhaustion from working within a broken structure
To really address a problem with morale, you need to fix the underlying cause. Morale is basically a “check-engine” light for your business. Fix the problem . . . . or risk a breakdown.
How can I solve a morale problem?
Address it head-on and take action. You need to treat a morale problem like any other issue in the workplace—by taking it on as a project.
To solve a morale problem, follow these steps:
1. Listen to employees.
Communication is key. Employees need to be heard and seen. They know why they are unhappy. Ask them, and listen to their responses.
To paraphrase Leo Tolstoy, “Happy workplaces are all alike; every unhappy workplace is unhappy in its own way.” Find out what makes your workplace an unhappy one. Open the lines of communication so that your employees can pinpoint what is wrong.
My staff is burned out from the overwork of the third-quarter push.
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2. Ask employees to help solve the problem.
After learning what issues are affecting morale, ask employees for suggestions about fixing the problems. They often have the clearest perspective about what can be done differently. You don’t have to enact every suggestion, but using some of them will give you direction and give employees a sense of ownership in the process.
Since employees are burned out from overwork, we could. . .
- adjust work schedules and shift responsibilities to reduce stress.
- provide variety in work schedules.
- give the team a paid day off.
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3. Create a strategic plan.
So you’ve identified a problem and gathered suggestions for fixing it. Now you need to turn those suggestions into realities.
Start by writing a goal statement, telling what you want to do and why:
We’ll provide a paid day off for the team and will adjust the fourth quarter schedule to reduce workload and provide more variety.
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Then create objectives by answering the 5 W’s and H:
- Who? The production team
- What? Will have a paid day off and a fourth quarter relaunch
- Where? In Plant 2
- When? On Friday, September 30, with the relaunch on the following Monday
- Why? To reward the team for hard work, to provide a more sustainable schedule, and to improve morale on the team
- How? By reworking the schedule to reduce workload and improve variety and opportunity
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4. Create a tactical plan.
Once you have written a goal and objectives for your morale-improvement project, you need to get down to specifics by answering the four T’s:
- Tasks: What specific steps need to take place to enact this plan?
- Time: When must each step be completed?
- Team: Who will accomplish each step of the project?
- Tools: What equipment, materials, and information does the team need?
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You can outline your strategic and tactical plans using a planning sheet.
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Planning Sheet
| Project |
Morale Issue in Production Team |
| Goal |
We’ll provide a paid day off for the team and will adjust the fourth quarter schedule to reduce workload and provide more variety. |
| Objectives |
|
| Who? |
The production team |
What? |
Will have a paid day off and a fourth quarter relaunch |
| Where? |
In Plant 2 |
| When? |
On Friday, September 30, with the relaunch on the following Monday |
| Why? |
To reward the team for hard work, to provide a more sustainable schedule, and to improve morale on the team |
How? |
By reworking the schedule to reduce workload and improve variety and opportunity |
| Time |
Tasks |
| 9/12–9/16 |
Rework fourth quarter schedule to reduce workload and stress |
| 9/19–9/21 |
Get director sign-off on schedule |
| 9/22 |
Announce paid day off (9/30) and fourth quarter relaunch (10/3) |
| 9/23–9/29 |
Tweak schedule, create presentation, plan relaunch |
| 10/3 |
Launch fourth quarter schedule |
| 10/4 |
Manage new schedule and monitor morale changes |
| Team |
I will work with the line leads to create an equitable schedule for the fourth quarter, the director of operations will review and approve the schedule, the leads and I will launch the fourth quarter, and we all will enact the schedule, keeping the lines of communication open. |
| Tools | |
| Equipment |
Computers, project-management software, computer projector |
| Materials |
3rd quarter schedule with pain points, 4th quarter schedule |
Information |
Employee interviews, workflow diagrams, deliverables sheet |
| Resources |
Human Resources |
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5. Work your plan.
Get your team’s buy-in. After all, they want to fix whatever’s wrong in your workplace. Get them to share your goal and objectives. Enlist the team in creating the solution.
So far in this process, you’ve listened to employees’ concerns, considered their suggestions for improvement, created a plan based upon those suggestions, and empowered your team to solve the problem with you. Each step along the way, you’ve improved communication and participation while also eliminating the sources of the problem.
That’s how you fix a morale crisis on your team.
How can I prevent chronic morale problems?
You can create systemic changes to your organization to support overall happiness:
1. Lead from the top.
Create a positive, confident, and compassionate work environment for your team. If they believe you are trying to help and see the value of your approach, morale will rise. If you create a culture that inspires and empowers your team, they will respond in kind.
2. Prioritize mental health.
The pandemic has taught us all the perils of disruption, isolation, and anxiety. It has also demonstrated the power of human compassion and connection.
Prioritizing mental health once again starts with listening. What are employees struggling with? What is happening in their lives? Provide a judgment-free ear, and encourage employees to take time to rejuvenate, reconnect with family and friends, and take care of themselves.
Also, if someone needs professional support, help the person find it. That’s not just a matter of compassion. That’s also a matter of humanity.
3. Provide performance incentives.
Employees who work hard should get rewarded. Yes, a job well done is its own reward, but extra pay and employee recognition help as well.
Enact programs that provide small benefits to many instead of a single payout to one. Avoid incentive programs that give a big prize to the employee of the year and leave everyone else feeling left out and resentful.
Profit-sharing programs let employees share in the company’s success. For publicly traded companies, these programs can include disbursing shares of company stock.
4. Provide upward mobility.
One of the best incentives for hard work is upward mobility. Consider hiring from within before reaching out to bring in someone new.
If positions aren’t regularly available, start with professional development. Employees who learn new skills can improve their résumés and position themselves to move up when an opening does occur.
5. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
As a manager, your job is people. Connect with them. Listen to them. Find out what they need to be the best employees they can be, and make sure they get it.
Human resources are the most important resources. And first and foremost, they are human. Manage your staff with positivity, respect, and compassion. Morale will improve, and so will everything else.
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