5 ideas to build teams and boost morale in your company
Do you love what you do and truly appreciate the people you do it with, but sometimes struggle with a lack of teamwork and general employee morale? This is a common problem in companies, and the good news is that there are a few things you can do to help improve teamwork and morale. Many times in our working life it seems that we are already so busy that you don’t have time to put one more thing on your plate. But one thing to remember is that a lack of teamwork and morale is an indication of your culture. And it probably won’t get better unless a plan and action are put in place. So since this is so important in the growth and success of your company. I encourage you to make time to focus on your culture. Below are five ideas to help make improvements.
1. Training and education. Believe it or not, most employees want to learn, grow, and contribute more to their company. Sometimes when you have an employee who doesn’t seem engaged in their work, you may feel like their work isn’t meaningful or isn’t contributing to the overall success of the company. One way to help them feel more important is to invest in them and their future. One of the best things I’ve ever done for my team is bring in coaches every year to train, educate and inspire. An unexpected result of this training was that my team became more supportive and more loyal to our company. I was touched by how grateful they were that we cared enough about them to invest in them and their future. Not sure what to train or educate yourself in? Find out what worries them or what stresses them out. It doesn’t even have to be work related, maybe they are worried about finances, bring a speaker to teach money management. What I found is that if people can let go of some of the external stresses outside of work, they become more focused on their work. Personal growth often leads to professional growth.
2. Do you have a mission, vision, value and corporate culture statement? If you don’t, you might consider having a corporate retreat and letting your employees help you design them. They live and work in their corporate culture and, in reality, they are the corporate culture. You may be a little hesitant, but you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised at how much insight they bring to creating your company’s mission, vision, and values. By creating these things together, they will feel like an important part of the foundation of your company and this will likely improve morale and build a more loyal workforce.
3. Train your employees to make the necessary improvements and changes. Many times, if you have problems, problems, or just room for improvement, your employees have great ideas to do better. Does your company have any way to make suggestions or improvements? Are your ideas seriously considered? If not, you may want to find a way to incorporate it into your operations. Take the time to ask your employees what could be better, ask them if they have ideas on how to improve operations or processes. There are some simple ways to do this. It could be as simple as a round-up process where you ask them regularly, or you could create a suggestion box for employees. Or perhaps it would be better for your company to take time during a staff meeting to discuss. Be careful not to get defensive and dismiss ideas too quickly. One important thing I’ve learned over the years is that when an employee brings me a problem, they know that I expect them to bring me an idea for improvement as well. Often the initial idea isn’t necessarily the best idea, but it sparks a great conversation and oftentimes leads you to a good course of action.
4. Don’t be afraid to have fun at work. Find reasons to celebrate and be together. Get in the habit of celebrating birthdays, important milestones, and achievements. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Have a potluck or have everyone join in for takeout. The important part is for everyone to come together and recognize each person’s contributions and accomplishments. What you want is to create a culture where everyone feels like family. Imagine letting someone in your family’s birthday go by without acknowledging it, you wouldn’t do that. Well, you shouldn’t do that at work either. You’ll likely find that treating coworkers and employees like family will make them want to perform better and contribute to a better team environment.
5. Annual Celebration with team building events. Find a good time of the year, preferably around the same time each year, to celebrate your employees, your company’s achievements, and show appreciation. Consider creating a venue by renting tables, tents, and chairs. Invite the family and promote fun and teamwork. Party rental items like bouncy houses or inflatable obstacle course rentals offer employees a chance to relax, but still build teamwork. Fun activities help relieve stress, leading to a more relaxed and productive workforce. I encourage you to make it a great event. Consider inflatable rentals and team building activities. One of the biggest benefits of having a big event is that employees can showcase strengths that they may not be able to use in the workplace. You may see hidden leadership and problem-solving skills surface.