Anyone that has worked in an office can tell you that the day-to-day tasks can really wear down employee morale. If you are feeling the energy in the office start to dip, there are a few things that you can do to get the employees to relax and get more productive.
A simple solution is to institute a “Casual Friday” deal where employees can come into the office dressed casually. Trade tailored suits for jeans and a t-shirt, dress shoes for a pair of Nike’s or Puma’s. While casual clothing may not seem like much, if you are an office with a strict dress code, loosening it up a bit is a great way to show the employees that heading to work doesn’t have to be gloom and doom. You can even have theme days (Beach Gear, Ski Lodge, etc.) and have your employees get creative in planning an outfit that fits in with the theme.
You can also boost morale by planning some sort of social event for your employees. This can be something as simple as a happy hour at a local watering hole, or something bigger, like a company wide outing at a theme park. No matter what route you decide to choose, you will be able to demonstrate to your employees that you genuinely appreciate the work that they do. Rent out a nice location, invite your employees to come socialize and blow off some steam and pick up the tab. While not every employee will attend the event, you will be giving a large number of them something to look forward to as they work through the week.
Finally, offer rewards for exceptional work. This can be something that you set up monthly to recognize the best performers. Maybe you want to reward them with a cash bonus to motivate other employees, or you could give them extra paid time off, feel free to get creative with it! Everyone like getting something extra for going above and beyond, so turn it into a competition!
The morale of an office is something that you need to consider to have a successful business. It doesn’t take a lot to bring it down, but thankfully, it doesn’t take a lot to bring it back up either.
