The Change Dude’s Blog

Renew Morale Now

“The floggings will continue until moral improves” has been a sarcastic phase used in the business community for as many years as I can remember.  In a recent survey conducted by McKinsey it appears the economy has the whip. 

It’s really interesting how the global economy is driving a morale reduction.  Could it also be that organizations have reduced staffing by nearly 5 million in the past 6 months?  Yes, the global economy is the root cause of the never ending stream of redundancies in the marketplace but might there be some action leadership can take to reduce the impact on survivors?

Source: Economic Conditions Snapshot, June 2009: McKinsey Global Survey Results

Absolutely ! There are steps to be taken to give morale a booster shot.  As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts the recent economic adjustments are staggering yet offer an incredible opportunity to renew the business, employees and relationships with customers.  Think about the customers of  the 37% of respondents that have seen a significant reduction in morale.  Can they feel that reduction in their dealings with those organizations?  You bet they can. 

It’s incredibly easy to recognize and reward associates when things are great, it takes a strong leadership team to pull the organization through in tough teams. 

Morale is the product of leadership not the global economy.  It is your responsibility as a leader to buoy the associates in your charge during these difficult times. 

Try these simple techniques:

• Smile…like you mean it – associates will mirror your facial expressions and positive outlook
• Maintain reward and recognition programs – survivors should be constantly and continually reminded of their inestimable value to the business.  Don’t let the little reminders slip away during cost cutting.
• Get out of your office…NOW!  – be seen, be open, be honest about the future.  Sitting in your office brooding doesn’t inspire confidence.
• Schedule listening periods – take the time to listen to your associates and hear what’s on their mind.  It’s a sure bet that most folks just want to bend leadership’s ear and know they’ve been heard.
• Renew values, goals and priorities – break out this mission, vision, values gathering dust in your drawer and deliver a conscious and visible renewal to those promises.  That’s what those are, promises to your associates, your shareholders and the communities you serve.

It is a time for looking forward while building stronger relationships both internally and externally.  Remove yourself from the rigors of numbers management and renew those leadership skills.  Make it a personal goal to improve the emotional state of your business, put it on paper and track the metric like last month’s cash flow.

Your customers will appreciate it today and remember it as the line slopes to the North.

July 6, 2009 - Posted by thechangedude | Thinking About Associates, Uncategorized