If you want a workplace that’s productive and efficient, team morale is one of the keys to achieving that.
A workplace with high employee morale has motivated and driven team members that feel good about what they do.
The benefits of a work environment that has high team morale also extend beyond employee motivation.
It affects customer approval and the company’s overall profitability too.
This is why a lot of companies value workplace morale and will do everything they can to boost it.
In this article, we’ll talk about what team morale is and why every workplace needs it.
What Is Team Morale?
Team morale is the level of enthusiasm, spirit, and confidence within a group of employees in one workplace.
This includes what individual team members feel about the work that they do, their fellow employees, and the company itself.
It’s linked to productivity and efficiency because employees who have high morale care about their work and their workplace.
They’re able to bring quality and quantity to the table.
Why Team Morale Is Important
You’ll find that a lot of companies strive for high team morale. That’s because it has a direct effect on job performance.
Driven and motivated employees perform better. A good job performance allows them to feel satisfied with the work that they do.
Employee satisfaction affects employee retention and loyalty because satisfied employees stay.
When they feel well taken care of, they’ll continue to stay and grow in the company.
A workplace that’s productive and efficient also encourages employee engagement. It helps cultivate a culture of open communication within the company.
Employees are free to voice out their thoughts, and the company listens.
Team morale plays a significant role in the success of a workplace. It brings a domino effect of positive outcomes.
That’s why it’s an integral part of building good company culture.
How to Measure Team Morale
We’ve established that employee morale is an important metric for success.
The question is: how do we measure it?
1. Observation
Observation is one of the easiest ways to measure team morale – all you have to do is spot the signs of low or high team morale.
One of these signs is the overall performance of the team. Poor performance can be indicative of low morale.
The downside of this measurement technique is that some people are good at masking how they feel.
2. Conversation
Sparking conversations is another way to measure team morale.
A disadvantage of this technique is that some employees aren’t 100% comfortable sharing personal thoughts with their higher-ups.
There’s a chance that responses won’t be in complete honesty.
3. Surveys
Surveys offer a solution to the disadvantage of conversation.
They’re great for employees that are more comfortable writing down how they feel rather than talking about it.
Anonymized surveys also encourage team members to express candid thoughts and feelings.
4. Suggestion Boxes
Suggestion boxes are another useful tool for measuring team morale.
You can apply anonymity here too. Plus, they open the company’s doors to suggestions on improving employee morale.
5. Open Door Policy
The previous four tools all rely on the company reaching out to a team member.
Employing an Open Door Policy lets your employees know that they can come to you.
This policy helps you measure employee morale by allowing the team members themselves to talk to you about it.
What Causes Low Team Morale?
There are many factors that cause low team morale.
Most of these are rooted in a lack of care and support given to team members.
Listed below are some of the most common causes of low employee morale:
Lack of Communication and Clarity
One of the biggest factors causing low morale is a lack of communication and clarity.
This affects trust in the workplace as well. Lack of communication can cause discrepancies in transparency.
Without transparency, the company appears dishonest.
Poor Management Practices
Poor management practices, such as micromanaging and favoritism, can cause low team morale too.
These practices show that bosses don’t trust the individual capabilities of all team members.
You should also avoid favoritism in the workplace because it discourages others whose efforts aren’t recognized and appreciated.
This serves as a gateway for poor morale.
Employee Stagnation
Employee stagnation happens when a company doesn’t provide its employees with any opportunities for growth.
This can make employees feel detached from the work that they do.
It’ll also demotivate them because they can no longer see their career moving forward in the company.
Other possible causes of low team morale include:
- Unrealistic goal setting
- Lack of team bonding
- Not enough training
- Disrespect in the workplace
How to Boost Team Morale: 5 Simple Methods
A company achieves team morale through consistent work on taking care of every team member’s well-being.
Look out for and avoid morale-killing habits.
Employ the strategies below to boost employee morale in the workplace.
1. Establish Open and Frequent Communication
Communication is the key that opens several doors to boosting team morale.
If your company encourages open communication, you’ll easily build trust and loyalty.
After establishing trust, it becomes easy to check in for regular employee feedback.
2. Train Managers Well
Managers assume the position of team leader.
They work directly with the members and have the most opportunities to build relationships with them.
Watch out for the signs a manager doesn’t value employees and eliminate these as soon as you spot them.
3. Recognize Employee Achievements
Employee achievements should never go unnoticed.
Offer incentives to employees who go over and beyond to motivate them to keep up the good work.
A bonus reward or incentive is a good morale booster because they give a staff member something additional to work towards.
4. Provide Opportunities for Growth
Support employee health outside of work and provide opportunities for growth.
Support from the company or organization is related to team mood, and a higher team mood boosts performance.
5. Organize a Team Building Activity
Organize team building activities to increase team bonding.
Employees with synergy work towards the same goals, and this leads to improved collaborative performances.
How Do You Maintain Good Morale?
Once you’ve achieved good team morale, maintaining it is key.
Keep an eye on performance data because we know that this is directly affected by team morale.
Address and look into dips in productivity, and assess if they’re related to and caused by low morale. Regularly check in with employees too.
Ask them how they’re feeling about the work, workload, workmates, and work environment.
Nobody should have to deal with difficult coworkers because this will hurt staff morale.
Solve any employee disputes as soon as possible. Try to spot and solve small arguments before they turn into feuds.
Another way to maintain good morale is by maintaining good relations with the team members. This is achieved by keeping communication flowing.
Good relations lead to fewer fights and arguments. It also encourages trust and openness.
Keep the door open for suggestions from employees as well because this helps to improve workplace culture.
How to Build Team Morale Remotely
Because of the pandemic brought about by COVID, most workplaces migrated to an online setup.
Fortunately, face-to-face interactions aren’t a strict requirement to achieve team morale.
Below are a few steps you can take to build team morale remotely.
1. Stay Connected
Even if you don’t see team members on a regular basis, stay in touch with them.
Regularly check in on how they’re doing and how they’re handling their workload. Let them know that they can come to you should they encounter any problems.
This helps build a sense of care and connection even if you’re miles away.
2. Recognize Good Work
Working from home is a challenging endeavor for most because it blurs the line between work and rest.
Remote workers have a harder time achieving work-life balance. That’s why employee recognition is important.
Acknowledge good work when you see it and offer incentives to those who do more.
3. Incorporate Fun Into the Day
It’s important to incorporate fun into the day so employees will look forward to what each workday has to offer.
The same old boring work routine can be a major demotivator. Make sure to un-jam schedules for employees so they also have time to rest within the day.
4. Ask For Feedback
Ask for feedback and do your best to apply them.
Employee feedback allows you to improve your techniques for building staff morale. It shows employees that you’re open to criticism too.
5. Encourage Everyone
Encouragement help employees to stay motivated. It builds confidence and lets team members feel that they’re valued.
Final Thoughts
Team morale is essential to a workplace’s success.
It’s important to know about the ways we can measure it, the factors that cause it to rise and fall, and the steps we can take to maintain it.
If you have any other questions about employee morale, leave a comment. We’ll do our best to help you out.
We want high team morale in our workplaces because it drives productivity and efficiency up the roof.
It’s a sign that employees are well taken care of, and that the company grows and thrives because of that.
