High Morale and Employee Performance
- Aug 31, 2012
- Express Employment Professionals
- Management
High Morale and Employee Performance Mirrors Efforts of Leaders – Express Employment Professionals – May 2011
Do your employees seem less motivated? Does your work environment seem to be missing something? Are you losing talented employees?
According to James K. Harter, Ph.D., Gallup's chief scientist for workplace management, people leave companies because of factors that filter through the office from leadership. At least 75 percent of the reasons for voluntary turnover can be influenced by managers and supervisors. And managers who can't or won't alter the factors that drive turnover and boost employee morale can expect unhappy employees, a business that’s not reaching its full potential and the task of writing help-wanted ads in the near future.
High morale and strong leadership should be the goal of any leader. Below are steps you can take to develop your leadership skills and in turn, help better your business.
Keep employees engaged and energy levels high. Maintaining a positive work environment where employees are engaged in their work has proven to boost company morale and motivate employees. According to an Express Employment Professionals survey of 15,000 current and former clients, 35 percent of the respondents said they have seen a drop in company morale because of employees not feeling valued, yet only 28 percent of company leaders are leading initiatives to improve overall company morale. A little tweak in your work environment would show you care about your employees and are dedicated to making them feel valued.
Confidence in performance. As productivity and workloads increase, it’s important you show your employees that you believe in them. Letting them know you are confident in their abilities will help encourage them to produce the best products and provide great service. According to the Express morale survey, 50 percent of respondents recognize accomplishments of their employees in order to boost morale. Remember to compliment your employees on good work, both individually and publicly, and you will build up their confidence resulting in even better employees.
Willingness to work hard. If employees are willing to do more than what is required, so should business leaders. Although management has different responsibilities than the employees, staff members want to see their bosses working as hard as they are instead of delegating everything that crosses their desks. “In the past, a leader was a boss. Today's leaders must be partners with their people... they no longer can lead solely based on positional power,” said Ken Blanchard, author and one of the most influential leadership experts in the world. Business leaders should lead by example to show employees that they too are willing to put in the effort and work hard.
Relate with employees outside the office. Take the time to occasionally eat lunch with your employees. Listen to what they have to say and offer positive feedback and comments. Learn more about your employees, their families, hobbies and goals in life which will help you find ways to relate to your employees. This will help build trust and respect. Of the clients surveyed, 25 percent said a lack of morale was due to lack of trust and respect. Taking time to have lunch once a month with employees could not only boost morale, but also build trust.
Morale is a direct reflection of leadership. President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “The best morale exists when you never hear the word mentioned. When you hear a lot of talk about it, it's usually lousy.” Remember, a small boost in employee morale can go a long way in retaining talented employees, building trust and maintaining a positive work environment.
