Monday, August 2, 2010

morale at work


"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" 
A majority of the issues related to worker productivity stem from 
enthusiasm. Individuals simply go to work because they abhor their 
employer, the monotony, and the products. There is no passion or 
pride.
Much of this issue stems from issues embedded within organizational 
culture
. We find that organizational Issues affecting morale and 
productivity include:
Leadership not serving as an exemplars - some leaders today are 
narcissists, demeaning and ruthful. More importantly, salaries 
exceed employee pay by 425 times the average work. Leaders need to 
harmonize with employees and treat all equally. Avatars include 
McDonalds, Fed Ex and UPS where employees and management are one. 
Little or no accountability - The United States economic system is 
currently in financial turmoil and no one is accountable. Employees 
need to know that mistakes count for learning but criminals punished 
for repeat offenses. 
Career planning and succession planning is null - Simply put there 
is no succession planning. Most CEO's and managers arrive from 
competitive industries and companies. Whatever happened to the 
mailroom climb? 
Infighting amongst departments - When the fighting ends and all 
understand the reason for being employed perhaps harmony arrives. 
Too many silos - Companies are in business for one reason- to create 
clients. End the infighting and focus on the most vital asset! 
Causes of morale also correlate back to the organization, its 
culture, and its management. After 25 years of research in this 
area, we find five factors contributing to organizational morale. A 
study by the Corporate Leadership Council reveals managers have a 
tremendous impact on an employee's level of commitment. It is 
imperative to note that individuals do not leave companies they 
leave poor managers. Organizational management contributes to the 
negative morale. As recent as 2006 the Gallup Organization estimates 
there are 32 million actively disengaged employees costing the 
American economy up to $350 billion per year in lost productivity. 
Such loss includes absenteeism, tardiness, and poor work.
Helping to dilute the productivity issue, research depicts that 
taking time to build relationships with employees through personal 
interactions is a key step managers can take to keep morale high. 
Employees need to feel trust and respect from managers. Employees 
desire feedback to build management relationships to understand 
their work matters.
Ending the morale issue is not easy but there are cures
1. Begin with talent acquisition - Start with the right people. No 
firm we work with ever hires on a proactive basis. Most firms 
conduct employment searches reactively. Seek employees that fit with 
the organizational culture and with the obligatory skills. Never 
wait!
2. Hire for skill - Talent is innate. Organizations hire for 
personality and behavior first and skill second. Skill is not 
interchangeable, behavior is. A great hire might have a wonderful 
temperament and lack the skill to plug a socket into an outlet. I 
recall a fire star hotel that sought advice to correct housekeeping 
flaws. After five minutes, it was easy enough to terminate staff and 
find those without flaws.
3. Look at best practices from best people - Management focuses on 
repairing those that cannot rather than improve those that can. 
Avatars exist in your organization. Discover what they do right and 
emulate it.
4. Passion - In the 1980's Sylvester Stallone appeared again as 
Rocky this time with a theme, "Eye of the Tiger". What a great 
metaphor for valuable talent. Seek to acquire talent that truly 
loves work. Passion too is innate. Employees must love what they do 
and how they do it. In addition, managers, the organization, and the 
employees must vehemently focus on the customer. When passion is 
high so too is morale. Remember Winnie the Pooh, try finding Eyeor 
amongst staff at Disney; Southwest Airlines and FedEx, all intensely 
focus on servicing the client.
Lastly, management must focus on vital areas for improving the 
success of morale and productivity. Managers must constantly strive 
to provide feedback to employees. Feedback is not an annual event- 
Performance Review. It is imperative that daily communication exists 
for good information and improvement. Coaching, counseling, and 
mentoring are components of organizational morale. In addition, many 
attend church and hear the words, "It is right to give thanks and 
praise". Many watch professional sports and view coaches coddling 
athletes. We can learn something here; simple words of thanks and 
praise constantly improve morale and employee relationships. 
Finally, the first item terminated during economic volatility is 
training. Research finds that employees are assets and require that 
treatment. Never stop training; this improves productivity and 
morale at all times.
Issues of morale and productivity are onerous, volatile, and 
difficult to control. There is a need for management, the 
organization, and the individual to assist with success factors. 
Much is dependent on the desire to change; methods chosen and 
consistent follow through. However, if you do nothing you still have 
a morale issue. Take the time, seek remedies, and keep morale high. 
Doing so, lowers attrition, improves productivity, increases 
profitability and most importantly- reduces stress.

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