Gift Basket Business Blog

Boosting Employee Morale

November 14th, 2009 at 10:27pm Lorie Obernauer

Although we hear in the news that the recession is ending, many small businesses are still feeling the pinch. Moreover, our employees are feeling the stress. Many business owners have had to ask employees to work longer hours, or take on more responsibilities with no increase in pay. For many employees, they are just “holding on”: doing what they have to do to get by and get through these hard times. And these attitudes of course, affect how they do their jobs. “When fear and uncertainty become staples of daily work and life, they lead to a lack of trust, decreased productivity, poor focus, uninspired teamwork and subpar performance.”

But there is a way to change the tide. An excellent article, “Managing Motivation”, by Jon Gordon, offers an interesting array of ideas that leaders in any business can use to help their employees excel during troubling times. Read the full article, but I especially like the first suggestion: “focus on people, not numbers”.

When business is slow, most small business owners that I know talk about cutting expenses and trimming the fat. But this is only one part of a winning strategy. We have to pay attention to our employees and help them maintain positive attitudes and behaviors by modeling those ourselves.

Consider what author Gordon has to say and think about how you apply this to your business: “Right now, negativity and fear are probably knocking your people off balance. It’s a scientifically proven fact that the nature of our thoughts affects our lives in tangible ways. I firmly believe that if you think your best days are behind you, they are. However, if you think your best days are ahead of you, they are. Therefore, it’s time to regroup, refocus and unite your people to create a winning mindset, culture and positive team environment. Remember, culture drives behavior. You win in the office first. Then you win in the marketplace. With a winning team you create strength on the inside that can withstand the negativity, naysayers and adversity on the outside.”

Entry Filed under: Business Tips, Employee Training