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Simple steps to improve employee morale

From ITD's Employee Reward and Recognition Awards Team
Here are two things that can change your world… That might be a bold claim, but it may be true. Here is what they are:

1. Show more appreciation. It is one of the simplest things we can all do to bring more happiness and goodwill into the world.

2. 18 Morale Mantras. It's simply a list of guiding principles that managers at all levels can use to keep morale high.

“Everything matters.”
“It’s the little things.”
“Don’t expect employees to care if they don’t feel you care about them.”
“Whenever there is conflict, change, or morale issue, seek first to understand.”
“You don’t know what employees think until you ask.”
“When in doubt, ask. Don’t assume you know.”
“Don’t try to make employees feel like they matter; make sure they have the opportunity to matter.”
“Stay wired into the voice of your internal customers… your employees.”
“Make sure employees know that asking for feedback does not mean you will act on every request or suggestion. But also make sure you let them know why you didn’t act.”
“An employee’s maturity level is strongly influenced by their manager’s behavior and the organization’s climate.”
“Having low expectations or being indulgent doesn’t create high morale, it creates an entitled, ‘what have you done for me lately’ workforce.”
“You get what you settle for.”
“How you interview, hire, and orient employees, tells them a lot about your organization and sets the tone for their stay with you.”
“You are a business, not a rehab center.”
“You are a manager, not a therapist.”
“Uncertainty breeds fear. Remove the unnecessary uncertainty caused by poor communication.”
“The more employees know about what’s going on, the less they fear what they don’t know about.”
“When employees have a strong ‘why’ they can deal with almost any ‘what’.”

The information contained in this article was authored by David Lee. David Lee is an internationally recognized authority on organizational and managerial practices that optimize employee performance.