| A recent management training class gave me pause | | | | engages in defeatist and negative rhetoric, associates |
| to consider an ever-popular and often vexing Human | | | | will find justification for continuing their own negative |
| Resources problem...morale. In the workshop discussion | | | | dialogues. "How can I be positive when things are not |
| on motivation, the issue of morale kept recurring. | | | | going well?" a manager might ask. Sure, this is difficult. |
| Specifically, trainees kept asking "How can we fix it?" | | | | But you can work with your employees towards |
| "How can we manage it?" "What are some quick | | | | solutions, and the can-do attitude that you evoke will |
| morale problem-solving techniques?" I came to the | | | | serve as an inspiration for those around you.o Be |
| conclusion that a separate training module on morale | | | | crystal clear when instructing your associates. They |
| should be included in any basic management training | | | | cannot read your mind. "The cause of almost all |
| workshop. New managers do not know what it is; | | | | relationship difficulties is rooted in conflicting or |
| experienced managers oversimplify it; generally, neither | | | | ambiguous expectations around roles and goals. |
| know how to deal with it. | | | | Whether we are dealing with the question of who |
| In designing the module on morale, I drew upon my | | | | does what at work, how you communicate with your |
| experience in dealing with employee relations issues | | | | daughter when you tell her to clean her room, or feeds |
| during my H.R. career. Unfortunately, there is a paucity | | | | the fish and takes out the garbage, we can be certain |
| of theoretical, cook-book solutions to morale problems | | | | that unclear expectations will lead to misunderstanding, |
| in the textbooks. Morale problems have always | | | | disappointment, and withdrawals of trust."o Give your |
| plagued upper management and will continue to do so | | | | employees the sense that their jobs are important. |
| (unless you are employed with one of the legendary | | | | This is not only a fundamental motivational technique; it |
| but elusive "best places to work"). | | | | will greatly influence morale. (In my workshops, I inject |
| As a former H.R. Manager, I have encountered my fair | | | | some words of wisdom from the great motivational |
| share of unusual stories and requests. One such story | | | | speaker and Guru Mark Sanborn. His book, The Fred |
| is about the time I received a call from my C.E.O. at | | | | Factor is also a must read in any workshop on |
| 4:45 on a Friday afternoon. The company for whom I | | | | motivation.)o Instill in your associates a sense of team |
| worked had recently gone through several | | | | work.o Work with Human Resources to develop and |
| downsizings, benefits costs were up, training budgets | | | | refine equitable employment policies. If a policy seems |
| had been slashed, voluntary turnover was out of | | | | unfair on its face, talk to H.R. They are there to help. |
| control, and people were being asked to "do more with | | | | Policies should be dynamic and may need to change |
| less." (Oh, those dreaded words!) In short, morale was | | | | with the times. Those policies that are perceived as |
| at an all-time low. The C.E.O. directed me to create a | | | | unfair are a primary cause of morale problems and |
| plan that would "fix morale in short order." And he | | | | may lead employees to seek legal redress outside of |
| wanted it on his desk by 9 a.m. the following Monday. | | | | the organization.o Conduct timely, thorough, and |
| He termed it "...a serious H.R. issue about which you | | | | effective performance appraisals. Nothing irritates |
| obviously need to do something." Talk about | | | | good, hard-working employees more than a late |
| oversimplification! | | | | review and salary increase. And nothing is more |
| When the downsizing craze began to ease up several | | | | insulting than a manager who "goes through the |
| years ago, we were all hoping that the concomitant | | | | motions" of a review, but says nothing substantive and |
| morale issues would just go away. But surprise...they | | | | or constructive. When managers spend very little time |
| didn't! What many H.R. professionals found back in the | | | | preparing for a performance appraisal interview, it |
| old days was that morale problems lingered long after | | | | shows.o If your company does not have a |
| the downsizings stopped. We realized that morale is a | | | | progressive discipline practice, ask H.R. to consider |
| management challenge that needs to be managed | | | | adding one. (Often H.R. is reluctant to develop a |
| constantly in good times and in bad. And now that the | | | | specific discipline policy for fear that any deviations |
| economy is once again in turmoil, we are headed right | | | | from that policy may lead to grievances and/or |
| back to a difficult business cycle, one that will likely | | | | litigation.) Many managers seem to forget that the |
| bring even more challenging issues with which we will | | | | object of discipline, at least in the early stages of the |
| have to contend, no doubt morale being on top of that | | | | problem, is to change behavior, not create a paper trail |
| list. | | | | for a subsequent adverse employment action, like |
| So, why do encounter morale issues in both good | | | | termination. A good disciplinary practice will, by its very |
| times and bad? First, make no mistake: management | | | | nature, create that paper trail. But it will have more |
| consistently oversimplifies these issues. While I realize | | | | substance inasmuch as it will clearly demonstrate the |
| that this may sound like a sweeping generalization, it is | | | | employer's willingness to work with sub-par employees |
| born of experience. Next, consider that there are | | | | and get them to the point where they will contribute |
| indeed legitimate employee complaints out there. And | | | | effectively.o Accept the fact that employees like to |
| one bona fide problem left unresolved can infect an | | | | gossip. It makes some people feel good. Too much, |
| entire department, and sometimes an entire business. | | | | though, leads to negative dialogue no matter how |
| Managers and supervisors need to sharpen their | | | | positive the working environment. Forbidding it or trying |
| listening and problem-solving skills and step up to deal | | | | to eliminate it altogether is impossible. Exercising sound |
| with these issues. Too often, they will oversimplify and | | | | management and keeping employees busy with |
| let the problem fester, avoiding it altogether for fear of | | | | results-oriented work in a proactive, team-building |
| confrontation. Having said this, there is no question but | | | | atmosphere will limit opportunities for negative |
| that some employees like to complain. It seems that in | | | | chit-chat.o Use your experience to solve problems |
| many companies, no matter how good the working | | | | before they happen. You know that feeling you get |
| conditions, there are and always will be disgruntled | | | | when something just isn't right? We usually get it just |
| employees. To stop a problem from infecting a large | | | | before we make a huge mistake. Some people call it |
| portion of your workplace, these employees need to | | | | instinct. I prefer to call it experience. Learn to listen to, |
| be dealt with swiftly. And the root causes of their | | | | not turn off, that feeling that something needs our |
| complaints need to be determined. | | | | corrective attention. If you think something is wrong |
| As a prerequisite to my basic management training | | | | with your associates, second-guess yourself. Ask for |
| workshop, I now require trainees to read Stephen | | | | second opinions from your peer managers, consult |
| Covey's seminal work, The 7 Habits of Highly | | | | with H.R., and rethink it. Don't make an adverse |
| Effective People. Out of all the management books I | | | | personnel decision based on emotion; make that |
| have read, Covey comes closest to offering | | | | decision on a firm footing, considering business |
| managers workable solutions to morale issues. He also | | | | necessity and good management practices.o Develop |
| very clearly ties motivation into morale. In my | | | | a suggestion system in your group. Yes, they do work, |
| workshop introduction, I first define morale; I make it | | | | despite the fact that they get a bad rap for allegedly |
| something tangible rather than theoretical so that the | | | | being patronizing. They fail when managers don't |
| trainees can wrap their arms around it and understand | | | | respond to suggestions. Encourage your employees to |
| it. The dictionary definition is, "The mental or emotional | | | | make suggestions and take personal responsibility for |
| condition of an individual or group with regard to the | | | | elevating those suggestions to the appropriate level in |
| function or task at hand." This definition might lead one | | | | your organization. Don't wait for a system to be |
| to believe that individual employees are largely | | | | developed by the company. You are the company! |
| responsible for their own morale. However, our culture | | | | Always follow up with the official to whom you've |
| puts all or most of the responsibility for "good" morale | | | | elevated the suggestion, as well as the employee who |
| on the employer. The company is indeed in the hot | | | | made the suggestion. Managers should schedule |
| seat. | | | | regular meetings with employees to share information, |
| If we as managers accept that we are at least | | | | air grievances, and dispel rumors. Failure to timely |
| partially responsible for maintaining the emotional | | | | follow-up with employees on suggestions they've |
| well-being of our workforce, we ought not make the | | | | made will cause more harm, tell the employees you |
| mistake of oversimplifying the problem by asking for | | | | are really not interested in their suggestions, and will |
| one or two simple solutions that will turn morale around. | | | | inhibit the submission of future suggestions.o Get your |
| Like motivation, morale is an incredibly complex human | | | | employees involved in problem solving. If they share in |
| problem that takes take a fair amount of effort to fix | | | | the solution, they will feel as if they are a part of its |
| and subsequently maintain and manage. | | | | success. This also reinforces the notion that individuals |
| In my management workshop, I offer the following | | | | are partly responsible for their own morale, something |
| affirmative steps for managers (and these are | | | | we discussed at the beginning of this article. Lastly, if |
| reinforced by in-class exercises and video vignettes):o | | | | employees propose solutions, they are stake-holders in |
| Manage morale everyday. Accept that improving | | | | those solutions. In short, as Covey says, get them |
| morale means managing it every day, not simply | | | | involved: "Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. |
| implementing a quick fix. Once morale is "fixed," you | | | | No involvement, no commitment...when people become |
| cannot simply ignore it until it once again rears its ugly | | | | more mature and their own lives take on a separate |
| head. Managing morale is just another way of saying | | | | meaning, they want involvement, significant |
| that you are employing sound every day management | | | | involvement. And if they don't have that involvement, |
| techniques; common sense stuff. Simply put, manage | | | | they don't buy it. Then you have a significant |
| people the way you wish to be managed. Provide | | | | motivational problem."o Maintain a high degree of |
| leadership. Serve as a mentor. Provide the tools and | | | | integrity in your management practices. Keep promises |
| training that your associates want and need to do their | | | | and commitments. Don't beat yourself up if you are a |
| jobs. Lastly, keep current with the assessment of your | | | | new manager and you haven't learned everything |
| associates' training needs. Keep the lines of | | | | there is to know about leadership. Learning to manage |
| communication with them open so that information | | | | is a constant work in progress. And qualities like |
| flows up and down. You should do this for all of your | | | | courage, consideration, and commitment, those things |
| employees, not just those who are outstanding | | | | that are central to basic, good management, are |
| performers, or those you perceive as "better" | | | | acquired through experience and active learning. |
| employees. The charge that managers "play favorites" | | | | A final word of advice to your trainees: In troubled |
| is a complaint we hear from many employees who | | | | times, you will encounter situations that, regardless of |
| are poor performers. This favoritism charge often | | | | what you do, will result in negative morale. You cannot |
| stems not from the rewards that the better | | | | please all of the people all of the time. But managing |
| performers receive, but from the lack of attention | | | | morale every day, along with exercising smart |
| given to the underachievers. It does not mean that all | | | | management decisions, implementing some positive |
| employees get similar rewards, regardless of | | | | change, and getting some help from your peers and |
| performance. Rather, it demands that your attention as | | | | Human Resources, will lead you to some almost |
| a manager be spread with some balance amongst | | | | immediate positive results. |
| your associates. Part of your job as a manager is to | | | | It is natural for managers and supervisors to look to |
| ensure that all of your employees succeed. When one | | | | H.R. for those "cookbook" answers. You feel |
| of your employees fails, even if that person is the | | | | frustrated when you cannot deliver the quick fix. But |
| worst performer in the group, you fail and you should | | | | incorporating these basic, common-sense tips in your |
| be held accountable for that failure.o Be honest. What | | | | management training workshops will let your trainees |
| are you telling your associates? There is no substitute | | | | know that there are people in the organization who |
| for honesty. Without it, your integrity as a manager will | | | | are interested in helping them. Reinforce that they |
| come crashing down. Many employees will develop | | | | must be proactive in managing morale, and that morale |
| perceptions about the company and about morale | | | | goes hand-in-hand with motivation and generally |
| based on what their managers tell them. If a manager | | | | accepted management techniques. |