{"id":3181,"date":"2023-06-01T16:18:13","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T16:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/project.co\/?p=3181"},"modified":"2024-06-07T14:44:03","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T14:44:03","slug":"team-morale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/project.co\/team-morale\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Easy Ways to Improve Team Morale"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Last updated on 7th June 2024<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article we\u2019re going to take a look at 25 really easy ways you can improve team morale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your employees spend a lot of time at work and they deserve to be happy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, the happier they are, the better their work output is likely to be – it\u2019s a win all around! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Acknowledge a job well done<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s get the simplest one out of the way first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your employees do a good job, tell them<\/em>!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n
\n Only\u00a030%<\/strong>\u00a0of people say they\u00a0frequently receive recognition<\/strong>\u00a0at work. Almost\u00a020%<\/strong>\u00a0of people said they\u00a0never, or almost never, receive any recognition<\/strong>.\u00a0\n
\n Source: <\/strong>Employee Engagement Statistics<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Recognition can go an incredibly long way. And it\u2019s an easy thing to give. All it takes is a thank you and a pat on the back.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Be accommodating<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your employees give a lot of their time to your business. But they can\u2019t give all <\/em>their time. Asking people to stay late, overworking them, and disrupting schedules is a surefire way to cause morale to plummet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, be accommodating of people\u2019s schedules. If you do need people to work late to finish an important project, then be understanding of their existing commitments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if an employee\u2019s daughter has swimming lessons on Monday evenings – don\u2019t ask them to work Monday evenings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this shouldn\u2019t apply only to parents. If an employee has a Wednesday morning yoga class – don\u2019t ask them to come in earlier on that day. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Our Insight\n<\/div>\n
\n When you accommodate your team\u2019s work-life balance, they feel more appreciated and are more likely to help out when they can.\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

3. Learn from each other<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Learning and development is incredibly important to employees. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n
\n 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development<\/strong>.\n
\n Source: <\/strong>LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

A fun way to improve team morale and give your employees the opportunity to learn more is to put on regular sessions where employees can share their skills.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employees from different teams can give presentations or demonstrations that teach others how to do their role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only will this allow your team to learn from each other, it may also give them a deeper appreciation of each other\u2019s roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Give compliments<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Giving compliments is a quick and low effort way to have a positive impact on someone\u2019s day. And it can also make you<\/em> feel pretty good too! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being on the receiving end of a genuine compliment has the power to activate the reward pathways in a person\u2019s brain and this can also enhance their performance. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Expert Tip\n<\/div>\n
\n Try setting yourself a personal goal of giving out 3 compliments per day to your team – see how it impacts morale and also see if it improves your mood too.\u00a0\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

5. Create fun competitions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We all understand the importance of work-related targets and goals, but setting fun goals can also be helpful for encouraging team participation and improving morale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be as silly as \u201cwhoever makes the most cups of coffee today can go home 15 minutes early\u201d or a competition for the best Halloween costume.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But fun goals and competitions can also have more depth to them and work towards boosting team productivity (while encouraging everyone to have fun at the same time). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example could be a \u201ccomment bingo\u201d game, in which team members compete to see who can check off the most positive words in their client messages over the course of a month.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can encourage people to be more attentive to their clients and also spark a little friendly competition in the team, creating a hot talking point and boosting morale in the process.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Our Insight\n<\/div>\n
\n Giving your team a fun goal like this to work towards in the short term can be a really great way of injecting a little more excitement into everyone\u2019s day.\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

6. Defuse confrontation early<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s nice to imagine a workplace where morale is high all of the time and everyone gets along perfectly, that\u2019s not realistic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, confrontations happen. It\u2019s unavoidable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, you can deal with confrontations in a way that impacts morale less. The best way to do this is identify and resolve confrontations early.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Our Insight\n<\/div>\n
\n Listen to the people involved, identify points of agreement and points of disagreement, and then develop a plan to resolve the issue promptly and thoroughly.\u00a0\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

7. Live by your mission statement and values<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A mission statement is a short statement about why your business exists and what your overall goal is. And your company values are the shared principles that drive everyone in your business towards that goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mission statement and solid values are great for building the culture you desire for your business, and can even help you to hire the right people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When everyone embodies your mission statement and abides by your values it\u2019s easy to keep team morale high. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Expert Tip\n<\/div>\n
\n To keep values at the top of everyone\u2019s mind, it can be a good idea to host a regular competition where you vote for who embodied each company value the most in a given time period.\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

8. Be flexible<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the best ways to improve team morale is to let your employees know that you value their time. It\u2019s common knowledge that most people spend a third of their life at work, a third sleeping, and the final third with family and friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offering flexibility to your team will improve their work-life balance and can also give you an edge as an employer – it\u2019s a benefit that can help you attract more talent.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n
\n A research study into the UK workforce found that 87% of British workers want to work flexibly<\/strong>.\n
\n Source: <\/strong>Timewise<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

9. Take feedback on board<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To improve morale you need to know what reduces morale in the first place. The only way to do that is to ask your employees and give them the opportunity to offer feedback on the business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will then give you key insights into positive changes that you could implement to ensure you keep everyone happy and productive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Project.co<\/a>, team members are regularly given the chance to submit anonymous feedback that is then discussed in a full team meeting. We call these meetings AAA (ask anyone anything<\/em>). Here\u2019s the anonymous form that employees can use to leave their feedback: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In addition to these regular opportunities for feedback, we also send out an end of year survey. This allows employees to drill deeper into what would make them happier at work and also allows the business to track any trends that may instantly improve morale across the board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Surprise people<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Who doesn\u2019t love a random act of kindness?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to implementing business processes to improve morale, you can keep your employees on their toes by surprising them every now and then. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These surprises can be anything from bringing in a box of donuts on a Friday to letting people go home an hour early. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Our Insight\n<\/div>\n
\n Thoughtful acts of kindness like these will show your team that you care and it gives them a positive story to tell their loved ones when they get home, deepening their appreciation for the business even further.\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

11. Acknowledge life events<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s likely that you\u2019ll see your employees through many times in their lives. Celebrations, such as marriages and births. But also difficult times, like illness and bereavement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to be there for your employees during these times. Celebrate with them, but also show support when it\u2019s needed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is easy to do by sending cards and\/or gifts to them from everyone in the business, and also by mentioning life events in your newsletter (if you have one):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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12. Just listen<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to improving team morale, you don\u2019t always need to change your business processes and implement new things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The simple act of listening can improve morale because it makes people feel heard, safe to share their opinions, and also like they can make a positive difference in the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, just listen. Let your team know that it\u2019s always safe for them to come to you with issues. Take their feedback on board and then respond honestly and with empathy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. Offer training and progression<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Training and progression gives your employees goals to work towards and also allows them to visualise a future with your business.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n
\n 79% of millennials value receiving personalised course recommendations based on their career goals and skills gaps.\u00a0<\/strong>\n
\n Source: <\/strong>LinkedIn<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

So, setting aside time for training can be a great morale booster. There are many online tools you can use to offer training and progression to your team. One such example is LinkedIn Learning<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are thousands of courses to choose from across a variety of different sectors, subjects, and skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s easy to search for your chosen topic, and courses are broken down into bite sized chunks so that your team can continue their learning at a pace that suits them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. Have fun together regularly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The word \u2018morale\u2019 refers to the enthusiasm and\/or spirit of a group at a particular time. One surefire way to boost enthusiasm and spirit: FUN. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all know that work can\u2019t be fun all the time, but if it can be fun some of the time<\/em> then this will keep your team happy and give them activities and events to look forward to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fun activities can be things like team days out and parties. Here\u2019s some of our team members at a recent trip to GoApe: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But of course, splurging out on activities and parties all the time is going to be a huge drain on your budget! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, there are many other (smaller) ways that your team can have fun together, such as:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n – Movie nights (or movie long-lunches)
– Game tournaments (table tennis, Mario Kart, etc.)
– Secret Santa (or another gift giving activity)
– Trophies or a success bell (to signify a job well done)\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Note<\/strong>: when planning fun activities, it\u2019s important to consider everyone\u2019s different personality types. Not everyone in your team will find the idea of ringing the success bell and having \u201call eyes on them\u201d a fun activity. Don\u2019t push anyone to do something they don\u2019t want to as this can quickly have the opposite effect on morale. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. Lead by example<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s inevitable that you\u2019re going to feel stressed or have off days at some point – we all do! And it can also be difficult to hide stress and frustration, or even tempting to share your woes (misery loves company, after all). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you want to improve team morale then you need to lead by example. This means maintaining a good attitude, spreading positivity, and conquering tough projects and difficult periods with a smile on your face! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

16. Create an open communication<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Glassdoor<\/a>, workplace transparency is incredibly valuable for businesses. It increases trust, improves morale, lowers job-related stress, and – considering it costs nothing – has an exceptional ROI! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving regular workplace updates can help your staff to feel more secure and in control. It makes sense. No one likes to be kept in the dark and your employees are adults – they can handle the truth, even if it\u2019s a hard truth. If your business is going through a tough time then an open communication could actually encourage people to get stuck in and help out as much as they can. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This transparency should work two ways. Let your employees know that they can come to you with their thoughts, opinions, and feelings without fear of being laughed at or facing consequences of any kind. A \u201cno stupid questions\u201d approach can really help people feel comfortable and this can improve team morale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

17. Schedule regular 1-1s<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to fostering open communication, schedule regular chats to catch up with your employees on a one-to-one basis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not everyone will feel comfortable voicing their opinions in meetings or sending you an email out of the blue. By scheduling regular one-to-ones you give these people the opportunity to come to you with any issues or queries they may have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A one-to-one can be an in-person meeting or a video chat, in which an employee has the opportunity to discuss anything that\u2019s been on their mind with their direct manager. It also gives managers an opportunity to ask employees about how they\u2019re handling their workload and what they are working towards for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18. Involve the team in decision making<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, you have transparency. You have regular 1-1s. Next, it\u2019s time to put those things into action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a team member has a great idea or thinks business operations can be improved by doing things differently, be brave enough to take those ideas on board and make changes in your business. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Our Insight\n<\/div>\n
\n When people see that they can make a positive impact on the business and their decisions are being implemented, they feel more connected to the business, and this can be a huge booster for morale.\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

19. Don\u2019t micromanage <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Micromanagement is a management style whereby a manager closely observes (and sometimes even controls) their employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This style of management can increase stress levels among employees as it shows a lack of trust and also gives employees a reduced sense of freedom in the workplace. A disastrous recipe for team morale! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Show your employees that you trust them to use their initiative by giving them the freedom and responsibility to make decisions on their own. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Recommended Article\n<\/div>\n
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\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n
How to Manage Creatives – WITHOUT Stifling Them<\/a><\/div>\n
Managing a creative team isn\u2019t easy, but it can be if you know what you\u2019re doing. Here’s how to do it in 6 simple steps.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

20. Evaluate your perks and bonuses<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If team morale is low and you\u2019re not sure why, perhaps it\u2019s time to evaluate your perks and bonuses. And maybe implement some new ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Zofia Bajorek<\/a>, senior research fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies in Brighton, \u2018people are beginning to see beyond \u201ccome and work in our jazzy office\u201d or \u201cfruit Fridays\u201d<\/em>.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employees are no longer dazzled by gimmicks. They want perks with substance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To find out what your employees want, you can use Google Forms<\/a> to send out a free survey. Creating a form from a blank template is quick, easy, and allows you to evaluate the most popular choices at a glance: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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21. Bring your pet to work day! <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pets are part of the family and more workers are looking for jobs that either offer flexibility for pet owners or allow people to bring their pets into the office. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n
\n 1 in 3 millennials would actually consider leaving their job if their workplace was not pet friendly.<\/strong>\u00a0\n
\n Source: <\/strong>Banfield Pet Hospital<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Allowing your team to bring their pets into work occasionally can be a huge perk. And, according to C Suite individuals<\/a> who have implemented this, 28% think that pets keep workers calm during stressful work days <\/strong>and 23% agree that workers are more productive with their pet as a desk mate<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you work from home, you can still implement a \u201cbring your pet to work\u201d day. You could organise an optional video call for your team where they can meet each other\u2019s pets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will be sure to put everyone in a good mood and could give your team a little boost for the rest of the day! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

22. Be charitable together<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we do good, we feel good. It\u2019s a fact! According to Cleveland Clinic<\/a>, health benefits associated with charitable giving include lower stress levels, increased self-esteem, and greater happiness and satisfaction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hosting a fundraising event is a wonderful way to boost morale while also doing your part for the community. It\u2019s a win-win situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even better, you can alternate the charities that you raise money for to allow everyone to choose a cause that is near and dear to their heart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Project.co, we love to participate in the Macmillan Coffee Morning<\/a> for cancer support. Team members are invited to bake cakes and make donations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the end of the day, we all vote for the winning baker, who receives a trophy that they can keep until the next contest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

23. Workout together<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no getting around the fact that office jobs are stagnant. Workers spend the majority of the day sitting down and this can negatively impact people\u2019s health and mood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating opportunities for your staff to workout together and take fitness breaks can be a great way to boost morale and productivity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n
\n Workplace exercise can boost mental well-being by 12% and emotional stability by 26%.\u00a0<\/strong>\n
\n Source: <\/strong>EMD UK<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

It’s not like you need to hire an instructor or spend thousands creating a state-of-the-art gym, there are lots of free resources online that can get your employees moving.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example is the YouTube channel Yoga with Adriene<\/a>. There are tons of videos all covering different topics and varying in length. Here\u2019s a great one for office workers: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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