4 Tips for Leaders to Maintain and Improve Office Morale

Leaders recognize the need to consistently monitor and maintain office morale. While they may not have their dream budgets to manage dips in morale, they find ways and develop initiatives to keep their teams happy, passionate about their work and secure in their place within the company. 

Studies show that employees who are happy at work are more productive, but leaders care about more than productivity. Your team is comprised of individuals who have unique strengths, concerns, interests and goals; leaders recognize and appreciate these things and want to empower their teams to feel and be their best both in and out of the office. Consider this notion as it relates to morale: 

Doesn't your team deserve to contribute to an environment that invests in them as individuals and as productive employees? Of course! So here are 4 practical tips on improving and/or maintaining the morale in your office: 

1. Bring in a food truck. 

A leisurely lunch isn't always an option. Deadlines, emails to answer and the thought of braving traffic to get lunch strip the leisure right out of what is often the only break your team may take each day (which is a concern in itself; see #2). Eliminate those concerns by finding local food trucks to set up shop in your parking lot once a week. Look for food trucks that offer a variety of foods to accommodate your team members' different diets. Providing this inclusive gesture will make their lunch yummy and convenient and allow the opportunity to enjoy time away from their workload. 

2. Encourage walking and physical activity. 

Sitting is the new smoking, according to recent research. Show your team you care about their health and well-being by encouraging them to take breaks to move around during the day. We all deserve moments each day to push away from our work, and we all most certainly deserve opportunities to be proactive about our health. 

3. Develop partnerships with local service providers. 

Think about what amenities you would enjoy while sitting at your desk. Looking out the window and watching your vehicle be detailed? Having someone come in to pick up or drop off dry cleaning? Enjoying a chair massage? Contact businesses that offer such amenities to show your team you care about creating a environment that is considerate of their needs. 

4. Offer a generous PTO policy. 

Vacations, appointments, unexpected emergencies or illnesses and mental health days. These are issues everyone on your team must manage, and you can help them with a flexible and generous PTO policy. This allows for several wins: 

     A) encouraging your team to schedule PTO time can help the rest of the team to plan work accordingly; 

     B) asking your team to own their time off puts them in the driver's seat of their schedule; and 

     C) providing your team with ample time off eliminates concerns of "wasting" time off when they, their family members or their pets are sick. 

What ideas on boosting morale have worked in your office? 

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By: Susan Gail Taylor, Social Media Manager and Copywriter at RME360

Employee Appreciation Day is March 6th: Let's Show Some Love

Friday, March 6th is the 20th anniversary of Employee Appreciation Day. (Insert applause box here. What? You don't have an applause box? Get one here.) 

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Bob Nelson, the creator of this holiday, says that appreciation from your managers "should be a daily thing. Not every person every day, but every day a manager should do something for somebody to show appreciation." I think we can all agree that recognition means a lot, especially from those who conduct our annual performance reviews and sign our checks. As we wait for the love/flowers/gift cards/etc to roll in tomorrow, here are some ways you can show your fellow employees that you appreciate them: (managers aren't the only ones who can dole out the compliments) 

1. Send your colleague a video. I don't know anyone who can deny the cuteness of kitties. And I definitely don't know anyone who wouldn't appreciate a video full of kitty cuteness to brighten her day and to say thank you for her hard work. I'm sure there are other videos you can send, but go with the kitties in this one; it's a sure bet. 

2. Use the iAppreciate app. This app created by O.C. Tanner Co., a leader in human resources consulting, provides with you tools to write notes, send e-cards or create award certificates for your fellow hard-working employees. You can even create a milestone event to celebrate a colleague's contributions, successes or years of service and invite others to attend. 

3. Say thank you. When was the last time a fellow employee thanked you for your help or your contributions? Felt good, huh? Pass on that fuzzy feeling to a well-deserving colleague. Maybe someone stayed late to work on a project. Maybe he brought the team donuts last week. Maybe she handled a tough meeting with poise you couldn't dream of having. Saying thank you sure can a long way. 

4. Be the one who brings the donuts. Seriously. This is never a bad idea. Be sure to include treats for colleagues with different diets (vegan, gluten-free, etc) as well. 

5. Request a meeting with your colleagues and management team about shows of appreciation. Nelson advises management to ask employees what they believe are the best ways to show appreciation and then to "shut up and listen." By brokering that meeting, you can show your fellow employees you care about team morale and show your management team that you take initiative. 

6. Collaborate with your human resources department on celebration ideas. Have a great idea for a last minute way to celebrate? Have something you'd like to see implemented for next year? Reach out to human resources and offer your ideas. Be a voice for your fellow employees and they'll appreciate your efforts. 

What ideas would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments or on our social media! 

By: Susan Gail Taylor, Social Media Manager and Copywriter at RME360