It can take a lot of energy to maintain positive employee morale, especially if your staffers are going through coronavirus-related challenges at work or home.
But there’s more you can do besides limiting negativity, encouraging gratitude among your employees or acknowledging the pervasive anxiety that’s out there.
Empower your people by …
1. Regularly checking in with employees. Spend the first
five to 10 minutes of one-on-one meetings asking about their well-being, what they’ve been up to, etc. Asking these questions shows that you value their happiness.
2. Taking time for your own mental health. A manager unable to model positivity isn’t likely to boost morale. If you’re struggling with anxiety or negativity, try stepping away from your desk and writing down some recent big accomplishments.
3. Establishing an employee-to-employee recognition program. Encourage your staff to reward co-workers for doing good work by setting up a gift-giving system. The rewards can be as simple as a $5 gift card. Allot a certain number of gifts per quarter and be sure to track giving and redemption. Consider reporting on it in your weekly or monthly company communication to emphasize the importance of companywide recognition.
4. Getting employees more invested in their work. Encourage managers to intentionally assign tasks to specific employees instead of teams or a team lead. They should be given autonomy to perform the work, report back and share results with the team. This gives employees ownership over their work.
