Is your team suffering from low morale?

Most of our clients would consider themselves recovered from Covid in what they consider to be a new normal or somewhat normal work environment. A lot of companies also have their staff back in the office full-time or in some type of hybrid environment for quite some time now. But we are still getting the question of: “How can our morale be so low?” It is a good question, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to that question. There are many factors that affect morale. Below are some tips to help you narrow down the possible colpitis. In general, all these tips can help raise your team’s morale to the next level. 

When we interview employees, some of the common reasons for low morale include:

1. No End in Sight.  Has your team been running lean for what seems like forever? I have had managers tell me they found that each member of their team is working almost an extra half day per week. When they brought it to their manager’s attention to be able to hire a new team member, they were shot down. The manager was baffled. The reality is that everyone is running lean these days. And even more than our pre-pandemic states. To produce great results takes hard work. 

   Most employees are willing to give it their all for a short period of time, but without light at the end of the tunnel, some may burn out or simply stop putting in the discretionary effort. Make sure you, as a manager, recognize their hard work. Sometimes, that recognition that you are going above and beyond makes a huge difference. 

2. Don’t Forget Wellness and Work-life Balance. The principles of maintaining a successful business and work-life balance are the same. You need a clear, positive vision for a balanced life for yourself and your team. Focus on priorities. Get organized. Build in margin. Allow people to say “No.” Encourage people to use their vacation time.

3. Lack of Appreciation: If everyone is so busy trying to get the huge workload completed, then there is a lack of time to tell people they had a great week or month and that they made a significant difference to the team’s or organization’s success. When a leader becomes obsessed with results, employees feel the leader only cares about the results improving (usually profits) and does not care about the people who are responsible for achieving the results. Make sure you take time each day to acknowledge the efforts your team is putting forward. Focus on results and relationships. Keep in mind that people produce results. A person who feels appreciated will always do more than expected.

4. Support Systems: When you are super busy and giving it your all, there is nothing more frustrating than a down system. Constant workarounds, glitchy computers, or slow networks can result in employees getting to their wits-end quicker than if the systems were actually supporting them in their jobs. For employees to continue to work at their best, they need the systems and processes to support them in their jobs, not challenge them. When not working as effectively as they could, it results in increased stress and workload as it now takes us longer to do the job. Make time for routine maintenance of systems and processes.  Ask yourself, “Are we still doing things the way we have always done them, just because we have always done them this way?”  Encourage innovation to ensure your processes are efficient and support today’s business needs. 

5. Set Performance Standards. It is one thing when a mediocre performer has low morale.  It is another issue when a top performer has low morale.  When that happens, leaders need to take responsibility and focus on ensuring the top performers feel that their contributions are valued and that their contributions make a significant difference to the organization’s success. In our experience, when a top performer has low morale, it is usually because the manager is not holding all team members accountable to performance standards. 

6. Hold Everyone Accountable. It sounds easy to say—deal with performance issues. But it is one of the top reasons managers are referred to us for coaching. When you have performance issues on your team, we have a simple formula: Coach and counsel the mediocre or poor performer. If coaching and counseling do not work, share your mediocre performance with a competitor. Don’t allow the mediocre performance to continue destroying your team’s morale.

I am sure a few of the items above resonated with you regarding a current or prior employee. Sometimes, we just need a refresher to realize that we are in control of our team’s culture. Follow the tips above to ensure you are supporting your team and holding them to the right standards. Doing so will help you create a high-performing team, increase your team’s bandwidth, and raise your team’s morale to an even higher level.