by Karen Chamchuk

Created on: August 09, 2011   Last Updated: August 17, 2011

It’s a well-known fact that happy employees are productive employees. Therefore, anything that a manager can do to improve office morale will also be good for the bottom line of the company. By the same token, employees who feel unfulfilled and unappreciated will probably not be a great asset to the company. Fortunately, there are many things a manager can do to boost morale in the office.

Seek to understand  

First of all, it is vital to understand that it’s not just money that keeps employees motivated. Employees have to feel good about the company and truly believe in the value of what they are doing. One way you can accomplish this is to assign tasks and responsibilities based on the individual interests and abilities of your employees. Take each employee aside and ask them what their picture of an ideal job would be. The more you know about what makes your employees tick, the better-equipped you will be to manage them effectively.

Be flexible

Try to be as understanding and as flexible as possible if an employee has personal commitments such as young children to raise. Most of the time they will respond to your flexibility by working even harder to make the company successful.

Have casual Fridays

If it’s appropriate for your work environment, let everyone come to work in their jeans on Fridays. Having casual Fridays allows people to let down their hair a bit and gives everyone a break from high heels and dress shoes for one day. Don’t let things get too casual though – you should draw the line at muscle shirts and flip-flops.

Learn to listen

Show employees that their ideas and opinions are valued by instigating an open door policy. This gives employees a way to vent their frustrations to upper management who may not be attuned to some of the real issues. This can also be a great opportunity for employees to brainstorm constructive solutions. Also have regular staff meetings where management opens the floor for suggestions on how to improve office morale. There will usually be one or two gems that you can implement successfully.

Have ongoing contests

Have weekly or monthly contests in your office contingent upon work performance. Contests are particularly well-suited to sales, but can be adapted to any office environment. If work results are not easily measured, instead have co-workers nominate the person with the best attitude, the best customer service and so on. You can award winners a small gift card to a coffee shop

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