You don’t need us to tell you 2020 was a rough year. And there are signs that 2021 could be just as complicated. These difficult conditions can create a black hole for team spirit. It’s up to you to prevent these challenges from becoming a company-wide funk. To do this, you need to find ways to boost morale during these tough times.
But how? How do you keep your team motivated during these stretches of difficult market conditions? How do you boost company morale when times are so tough?
It may seem like an impossible assignment, but generating optimism is possible even during the most challenging situations. Often, it isn’t even a complicated task. With that in mind, here are eight simple ways to boost company morale when times are tough:
Define a Mission
People want to feel inspired. Critical for building morale even when things are good, this higher form of motivation is especially necessary in tough times. Give that added drive to your employees. Make teamwork and perseverance goals in themselves so that your staff will feel an extra sense of mission.
Show Sympathy
Understand what your team members are going through. Show sympathy for their individual troubles. Do what you can to ease their pain. At the very least, create a sense of community, which will help draw your employees closer together and create a stronger team spirit.
Give Praise
Celebrate when you can. Even tough times come with their share of victories. In fact, more challenging situations often lead to sweeter successes. By being generous with your praise, you can raise spirits and make future wins more likely.
Provide More Frequent Updates
Part of the stress generated by tough times comes from a lack of information. Your employees don’t know what’s going to happen next. This amps up their level of anxiety. Alleviate these worries by increasing the frequency of communication. By giving updates more often, you keep your workers in the loop and cut off at least one source of stress.
Ask for Feedback
Take the commitment to building closer ties beyond the information–sharing stage. Go further by involving your team in the process of decision making. Ask for feedback as you work to overcome your current challenges. This will make your workers feel a closer connection to the company. At the same time, the feedback could deliver actionable insights.
Offer Flexible Schedules
Tough times are usually defined by a lack of spare cash. You might not have the resources for raises or bonuses. As a result, you need to find other ways of rewarding your staff. Added days off or more flexible schedules provide these alternative forms of compensation.
Eliminate Extra Work
Every position has its annoying ancillary responsibilities. In more difficult stretches, you can take some of this added pressure off. You can eliminate or postpone any non-essential tasks, relieving some stress from your team and concentrating your resources on more pressing work.
Sponsor Corporate Events
Build team spirit by bringing people together. You might not have the cash for a big blow out right now. But you can host small parties to show your appreciation and let your workers blow off some steam.
Tough times amp up stress levels and lead to precarious business situations. However, they also bring people together. With the right team, you can come out of challenging circumstances with a new sense of mission and a more productive operation.
The key is having the right people. By partnering with a strong staffing agency, like Recruiting In Motion, you can find the right candidates for your team.
Contact Recruiting In Motion today to learn more.
