My Employees Need a Morale Booster

According to The Gallup Organization, there are more than 22 million employees throughout the American workforce who are best described as having low morale. If that number seems huge, you're going to be shocked by the next one.

Gallup has also calculated that as a result of issues like absenteeism and decreased productivity that stem from low morale, the American economy as a whole takes an annual $350 billion hit from this widespread morale problem.

Since low morale is an issue that can affect businesses in any industry, it's important to understand just how significant the issue is, as well as what can be done to remedy it.

How Important is Office Morale?

This isn't an abstract concept that management consultants made up to land lucrative speaking gigs. Instead, as the above statistic illustrates, there are concrete benefits to having an office that's filled with people who feel great about their jobs.

High morale improves creativity, performance and productivity. It also ensures employees pay attention to details, which in turn improves the quality of their work.

Not only is it easy to see how those four reasons can impact your bottom line in a positive manner, but high morale also provides the directly calculable benefits of creating a safer work environment and reducing the number of days that employees miss.

Since there's no question that morale plays a huge role in whether or not your business will thrive, if morale around your office is currently lower than you'd like, it's time to do something about it.

5 Ways to Boost Employees' Morale

If you've noticed that many of your employees' morale is dangerously low, the sooner you act, the better. And even if your office doesn't currently have a morale problem, it's worth taking preventative action to ensure it stays that way.

Here are five proven ways to combat or prevent low morale:

Give Real Responsibility

The best way to engage employees is to challenge them. Although you may be concerned that this will just increase their stress, as long as you have high but reasonable expectations, you'll find that their response to being given significant responsibility is quite positive.

Provide Recognition

If someone does a good job, tell them! Although that may seem like a no-brainer, recognizing good work is something that often gets lost in the daily hustle and bustle.

Talk to Employees

Don't be afraid to talk to employees and ask what motivates them. Not only will this show that you truly care, but you may discover some motivational ideas that had never crossed your mind.

Small Gestures Go a Long Way

When someone goes above and beyond, reward them in a personalized way. For example, if you know a certain employee is a foodie and they do something really great, show your appreciation by inviting their significant other and taking them out for a wonderful meal.

Have a Little Fun

You don't have to fill your office with Nerf guns or beanbags. But by periodically doing fun activities like a potluck cooking contest, you can help take some of the edge off the daily demands of work.

Even though it may seem like you're never going to be able to turn around your office's morale problem, if you use the above methods to begin taking action, you'll be pleasantly surprised by how quickly the situation begins to improve.