Karrah Roehm, Director of Training and Operations
by Karrah Roehm, Director of Training and Operations
Being a leader has never been easy and it becomes increasingly difficult during times of economic instability. Employees depend on and look to you for answers and cues as to whether layoffs are looming or if job changes are right around the corner.
Below are 5 tips to help boost employee morale during difficult times:
1. Acknowledge Challenges
Don’t keep staff in the dark. You must acknowledge the elephant in the room (because employees already know that it is there). They know that times are difficult and giving a realistic assessment of what is going on is key to keeping morale from slipping. Failure to discuss the obvious will put your reputation and credibility at risk.
2. Share Ideas
Employees are a virtual gold mine of talent and ideas! Now is the time to tap those resources and add value to the company’s operation. People want to feel like they are an asset to their workplace, so be quick to listen and utilize them as much as possible. By involving your employees in creating solutions to cut costs or increase sales, they will have a vested interest that will make them closer to the project(s). As an added bonus, they will feel like they are taking action instead of being helpless.
3. Convey Confidence
If you panic, expect your employees to as well. Conveying bad news and admitting that you don’t have all of the answers is tough; however, it is important to also reassure employees that the problems are being dealt with properly. If we only speak about the negative, employees may begin to look elsewhere for employment. This can cost the company talent, reputation and extra money.
4. Rewards
Compensation is not always the answer when motivating an employee. Many times a simple reward or special recognition will go further than you think. There are little things you can do when money is tight; order lunch in for your employees and talk about who is doing what or give out gift cards for a job well done. These are simple ways to increase an employee’s self esteem without breaking the bank.
5. Offer More Training
There are many benefits to enhancing the skills of the people you already have. Employees will feel compelled to grow both personally and professionally, which in turn will better the organization as a whole. They will feel like the company values their work and wants to invest in their future by teaching and enhancing new skills. Training is in essence the ultimate brainstorming session. It allows an employee to catch a glimpse of what they can or could do with the new skill. Training creates employee retention and loyalty, increases morale, and lets you start developing your future leadership team!
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