10 Ways to Boost Employee Morale and Performance

I know that the ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest skills an excellent leader can posses.

“Globalization has changed us into a company that searches the world, not just to sell or to source, but to find intellectual capital – the world’s best talents and greatest ideas”. Jack Welch

According to my experience in the pharmaceutical industry and agri/food industry manufacturing operations, the performance of employee declines due to poor management techniques, lack of motivation, reward and recognition in the workplace.

Unmotivated employees are likely to spend little or no effort in their jobs, avoid the workplace as much as possible, exit the organization if given the opportunity and produce low quality work, contribute to safety problems, make lower productivity and cause to decreasing customer value.

I know that leadership credibility and integrity is an essential factor to achieve high performance. Of course, right person to the right job policy must be applied. If a company has poor leadership and HR capability, the result will be less alignment, internal politics, poor productivity and poor performance organization.

On the other side, if the weakness of an employee is continuous and it damages the organization, then he or she will have to be dismissed.

“The essence of competitiveness is liberated when we make people believe that what they think and do is important – and then get out of their way while they do it”. Jack Welch

“Managerial competence and credibility can never be achieved without inspiration, care and recognition”. Yusuf Tokdemir

Compensation and benefits are important but there are other crucial factors that also boost employee morale. I know that good employee morale boosts operational excellence and organizational health.

Companies are making employee performance reviews to achieve high engagement and work performance.

Is it really working?

If you rate an employee’s performance as weak, her/his morale and motivation will be less and less for that year.

I like this Turkish proverb; “The fish smells from the head”.

Do you want to learn what leaders do to achieve a high employee morale and commitment to contributing a high performance organisation?

Here are 10 things I learned from my professional life about employee morale:

1. Be clear, honest, authentic, and be generous with praise.
2. Effectively delegate authority and create responsibility. Ensure that responsibility and authority are aligned.
3. Develop and implement a long-term competitive business strategy and share it with employees. Effectively communicate and show them the main purpose and make your business strategy theirs.
4. Identify and handle conflicts sensibly, fairly and efficiently and seek the ‘win-win’.
5. Never criticize or correct in front of others. Ask right questions to get people to learn and improve from their mistakes.
6. Apply a good recognition and reward system. They should be satisfied with their feeling of accomplishments.
7. Celebrate the success and share the disapointments. Be honest and transparent.
8. Create systems and norms that lead to a culture of candor within the organization.
9. Train and upgrade their skills.
10. Provide challenging assignments and offer opportunities for advancement.

Conclusion

Employees who believe their work is valued are more likely to remain loyal and often are more productive due to high morale, motivation, recognition and trust.

Rating poorly and waiting high performance; this is not easy! Apply right person to the right job policy.

If you want to boost your company’s bottom line you have to invest in employee morale. So that you will create a passionate and hard-working team to achieve a high performance and aligned organization.

Make your decision and take action today!