Jeff Williams of ActionCOACH discusses the importance of boosting team morale ‘when life and work becomes a drag.’
When times are tough, it’s important that everyone in a business remains positive. Keeping morale high and the mood upbeat is vital to the day-to-day running of any operation ‘ whether it be a small, large or medium-size enterprise, both in the private and public sectors.
This role is usually the job of the on-site boss, owner or office manager. It is up to this person to keep everyone’s chin high above the ground.
They must remain positive at all times, even if there are serious financial problems threatening to disrupt the normal flow of business. They must also appear confident and approachable, even when they have difficulties in their own private lives too.
It’s a knock-on effect. In large companies, bosses must keep middle managers motivated and, in turn, middle managers must remain positive when dealing with employees, suppliers and other members of the company’s business cycle. It sounds simple but in reality is a major skill in itself.
Jeff Williams, business growth specialist at ActionCOACH, talks about the importance of ‘boosting team morale.’
In the midst of a pandemic, social unrest, and lagging economic news, do you find it hard to stay positive? It all sounds so depressing. Maybe you’re facing more and new challenges in your business, while life is altogether harder than just a few months ago.
Researchers clearly state, that celebrating even the smallest of victories every day can go a long way to improving your mental health, while also boosting your physical stamina. A critical part to keeping your team motivated and inspired is to find the small things to celebrate ‘ particularly in the most challenging of times.
Celebrating the small stuff will lead you to find a positive side to almost every situation. Here are some examples:
- Celebrate that your team is healthy and coming back to work.
- Celebrate a customer service issue that has been resolved in a positive way.
- Celebrate a new customer order or sale.
- Celebrate an employee’s personal milestone, such as a work anniversary or a family birth.
And here are a few suggestions to how you can instil a celebratory mindset into your workforce:
- During a daily meeting, encourage team members to share good news or ‘a win’, regardless of size.
- Ask team members to make a note of moments, during their day, which they feel are worth celebrating. Write these in a journal which other employees have access to.
- Take note of those who actively participate and praise their behaviour.
Ultimately, as the business owner and leader of your team, it is important that you demonstrate a positive attitude yourself. So, remember to:
- Acknowledge the achievement and completion of goals.
- Regularly share your own accomplishments and good news.
- Recognise individual performances, teamwork and collaboration which all contribute to your business’s success.
I’ve just visited the website success.com and here are a few examples that show how keeping a positive outlook can actually improve your life, and the lives of those around you.
Gratitude: Gratitude increases dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, which are key neurotransmitters that give us feelings of contentment. If we are grateful more often, the happiness-producing neural pathways strengthen, just as exercise strengthens the body.
Optimism: In terms of the impact on overall health, one study found that Optimism may significantly influence mental and physical well-being by the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Indeed, overall well-being seems to be influenced by optimism, which can be strengthened by gratitude.
Expressing Gratitude: Robert Emmons PhD, and gratitude researcher, writes, When you become truly aware of the value of your friends and family members, you are likely to treat them better, perhaps producing an ‘upward spiral,’ a sort of positive feedback loop, in which strong relationships give you something to be grateful for and, in turn, fortifying those very same relationships.
Receiving Gratitude: As ‘positive psychology researcher’ Sonja Lyubomirsky PhD, wrote in her book titled The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want: Grateful people are more likely to help others because you become aware of kind and caring acts, and feel compelled to reciprocate.
In conclusion: If employees feel recognised and valued, they are more likely to treat their own colleagues with fond consideration in return. They will also treat your customers with more respect too. Encourage your team to exercise self-care, and find ways of giving back to their communities. By encouraging more positive self-talk, it boosts confidence, improves morale and ultimately promotes good customer service.
Staying positive in the moment is difficult. Remember, habits grow over time but only if practiced regularly. So, start small. Find one thing to be grateful for and celebrate it today. Then find another one tomorrow. On each and every day take time to find something to celebrate, as this will encourage others in your team to do the same. Putting on those rose-coloured spectacles everyday will give you a more positive view of the world. See it for yourself and then share it with others.
Last, but by no means least, do whatever it takes to ensure that not only are you looking after yourself, but that someone else is looking after you too. All motivators and leaders need motivating and leading, to help them perform at their best. Most of the great leaders I know, are working with professional coaches and trainers in multiple areas of their life and business.
This article comes courtesy of ActionCOACH the UK’s leading coaching network.
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