Office feeling drab and dull? Employees not focused well or unenthusiastic about a new work day? Your office may be taking a hit on office morale.
Morale is an important aspect of our work lives. Morale is what makes us excited about our new project moving forward, and is the part of our work lives that keeps us grinding with the work we love. However, when morale is down, it may be difficult to regain that passion for what we do.
Here are a couple of things you can do to keep up the momentum around the office, and increase morale among you and your team:
1. Keep effective communication channels.
Is there anything more frustrating than a misunderstanding? It’s difficult to concentrate on your work, when you can’t even understand what your coworkers are trying to tell you! On the other hand, how can you get your message across, when your coworkers are having a hard time figuring out what you’re trying to say?
Keeping effective communication is key in smooth operations, and nowadays, we have the technology to make communication easier for everyone. We have numerous messaging apps, email organizers, and workflow programs to utilize. We can always go back and refer to our messages to avoid any misunderstandings, and we can easily and instantly cross-check notes.
2. Prioritize mental health.
We are starting to understand more and more about mental health, and how it is just as important to keep our emotional and mental mindset healthy as we keep our physical health well. Besides physical health checkups, create plans for mental health checkups as well.
Companies are beginning to put priority on the mental health of employees, and companies with proper mental health programs are reported to have higher productivity and morale among employees. Simply being sensitive to what they may be going through, especially during the pandemic, is a good step in placing value on our mental health.
3. Maintain cleanliness around the office.
A disorganized office creates disorganized projects with disorganized workers. Take time to schedule days for organizing the office, and work with your supervisors to create a standard organizing method for your documents and files so everyone around the office can easily find the documents they are looking for, regardless of who filed them.
Cleaning the office is important in keeping up morale, as a dirty office is not very encouraging of work, and can even spread germs around the office. When cleaning, be sure to toss any unneeded items, sticky notes, and old papers that will just clutter the office.
When you’re too busy to do the cleaning around the office, you can always hire office cleaner services to help you with the upkeep of your office. The office cleaner will be able to bring that sparkle back to your office, at the convenience of you and your employees. You can work with your office cleaner on what needs to be done around the office.
4. Host team-building activities.
Team-building activities help employees express themselves outside of the work environment. Eating out with coworkers, doing group exercises and activities together, and hanging out outside the office are great ways to build community morale among employees.
Online team-building activities are also applicable, with many companies shifting to online hangouts via Zoom, Google Meet, and more. There are online games and communication conferences where employees can come together and have fun together.
5. Listen to employee concerns.
Employee concerns are always important, regardless of how small the issue is. These concerns build up over time, and without proper action, can topple office morale. As a manager, listen to your employees in what they have to say, and they may surprise you with some simple suggestions around the office that can boost employee morale greatly.
While not all suggestions can be effective, learn how to weed out the helpful recommendations from the unnecessary ones to figure out the best way to provide employees with a safe, productive space to focus on their work.
Besides suggestions, simply listen to employees when they have problems, concerns, or issues around their work or personal lives. Don’t get involved, but sometimes it’s good to have someone for you to vent to. Be open-minded, and guide your employees as they work at their jobs for good mentorship. Happy employees bring good business!
6. Brighten up the office.
Add more light to the office to brighten up the space. Some natural lighting is ideal, but artificial natural light is good too. Natural light boosts serotonin production, which makes for happier and content employees. Lighting may seem like a small issue, but proper lighting helps in maintaining office morale, focus, and concentration.
Brightening up the office space means more than just light. Decorate the office with some live plants for vitality, and you may even find out which of your employees have a green thumb! Live plants also provide cleaner air, and a lush, natural look around the office that minimizes work stress. Many indoor plants can survive well in low light offices, too.
Good airflow is also essential in brightening up an office space. Ever been to a stuffy room where the air feels heavy? Not a good feeling, is it? Air circulation is important in keeping our brains alert and focused. We tend to be more content and comfortable in a room with good air circulation rather than a stuffy office.
