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Morale can make or break a business. When morale is high, everybody works to their full potential and the business moves forward at breakneck speeds. But when morale is low, everything grinds to a halt, productivity dips, and you start to experience problems with employee turnover.
A good leader recognizes that building and maintaining morale are among the most important parts of their job. Unfortunately, many business leaders still struggle in this area. So, how do excellent leaders build morale?
They Lead By Example
Effective leaders build employee morale by being solid role models. When employees witness good behavior from their leader, it subconsciously trickles down to the rest of the team. In psychology, this is referred to as setting a “moral standard” for others.
Leading by example also means getting stuck in and doing the tough jobs that people don’t always want to do. Leaders need to find a balance between going first and last and although delegation is an important skill, there are times when you need to show your team that you are on the front line with them.
They Reward Hard Work
When employees go above and beyond, they deserve to be recognized. Sometimes this means praising their efforts in front of the rest of the team or giving them time off with pay. But it can also mean rewarding them financially for a job well done. Regular team events are effective too, so look into some corporate team building ideas as well. If people don’t feel that their hard work is recognized and rewarded, morale will take a big hit and productivity will suffer as a result.
They Communicate
When leaders make their goals and expectations clear, it gives employees a framework to work within. The framework keeps them focused on what’s important without being too constricting. This way, they are still able to explore new ideas while staying motivated by the bigger picture that the leader has set.
One of the best ways to communicate transparency with employees is to frequently check in with them. This might mean having open door policies or taking 15 minutes at the end of each day to ask how things are going. By showing that you are interested, they will feel more involved and be more motivated to work hard for you, which will build their morale immensely. But when people don’t know what their leaders are thinking and they feel out of the loop, this can negatively impact morale.
They Listen
All good leaders make time to listen to their employees. After all, they are the lifeblood of a company and their ideas can often result in changes that improve productivity and morale. When people feel heard by their leader, they will go out of their way to help them succeed.
One easy way to show your employees that you are willing to listen to their ideas is to run an idea pitching session. This way, they are able to contribute suggestions that will help the company grow.
Understanding how to boost morale is a vital skill for a good leader, so make sure that you put a lot of time and effort into it.
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