How Managers Can Boost Employee Morale

Morale is a problem, with up to 43 percent of employees lacking morale, according to a global study from McKinsey. From lack of engagement and motivation to low levels of commitment and confidence, employee morale has suffered over the last few years—and it may be getting even worse.

While there is debate about whether it's starting to improve, there is no disagreement that morale is critical for performance, retention and happiness among workers.

But it's possible to manage for morale—here's how leaders can inspire engagement and work-life satisfaction among their employees.

How to Manage for Morale

Morale is a term used casually and commonly, but its definition is nuanced. It includes feelings of satisfaction, engagement and motivation. But interestingly, morale also includes elements of confidence and conviction about the future. It is a feeling of energy in the present along with a feeling of optimism about the future.

In addition, morale is an individual experience. People are personally enthusiastic or energized about their work. But it is also a significant reflection of the culture. The conditions of the team, the organization and the broader context all influence morale significantly.

Morale also links closely with well-being. When people are struggling physically, emotionally or cognitively, their morale will reflect these challenges.

Fortunately, there are key factors that you can manage intentionally to sustain morale.

Provide Variety and Control

Too much repetition in work tasks can be both de-energizing and demotivating—and variety turns out to be an important component of morale. But variety must also be paired with control.

Research published in the Academic Medicine Journal revealed two important points. People tended to experience higher levels of morale when:

1. Someone asked for their input about their choice of activities
2. They had a diversity of activities in their day

Avoid making assumptions about what people enjoy doing. Instead, ask them about which tasks engage them most. You won't be able to create the perfect mix for each person, but when you can align what people like with what they're required to do, it has a positive impact on motivation.

Also, be sure to check in with people regularly. As home responsibilities shift and life stages change, people may evolve in their priorities for how they engage at work, so be in regular contact with employees about what kinds of tasks will give them the greatest levels of satisfaction.

Consider confidence, too. Ensure people are doing work they're good at as well as work that requires them to stretch and develop. When people can perform well and excel in their responsibilities, it contributes to esteem and hence, confidence and morale. And when they're enthusiastic about working toward new skills and capabilities, it's also a factor in their commitment and motivation for the longer term.

Encourage Authentic Meaning

Interestingly, your own authenticity in investing in people's work experience is also critical. A fascinating study published in Human Resource Management Review found when leaders and organizations tried to create meaning in the work experience but were perceived by employees as being inauthentic about their attempts, morale suffered.

You'll need to give people substantive work and reinforce the ways their work affects their colleagues and customers. Provide a sense of purpose—clarity about the bigger picture and their unique contribution to it. It's also beneficial to ensure people's passions are aligned with their responsibilities.

These are all ways to provide meaning, but be sure you're doing all of this with a genuine commitment to employees and a people-centric approach to get the benefit of your focus in these areas.

Build Culture Intentionally

Another way to foster morale is by building culture intentionally and ensuring the work experience is positive.

However, employee expectations are so high that it can be tricky to know where to focus. New research from Gallup and Workhuman explored how people described the cultures where they felt most and least engaged.

When people were most engaged, they described work experiences that were caring, friendly, fun, having integrity, innovative, inclusive, service-oriented and professional, according to the data. People who were disengaged described cultures that were toxic, disorganized, overly focused on money or profits, stressful, chaotic and fast-paced.

Your culture will never be perfect. But when you strive for a more positive experience and take intentional steps to measure it and continuously improve it, your efforts will go a long way toward engaging people and contributing to their morale. People appreciate knowing that leaders and the organization are paying attention to the work experience and taking steps to make it better.

Here are a few actionable things you can do:

• Hire people who can add to the culture
• Develop leaders so they're modeling the behavior you want to see
• Recognize and reward employees who embody the cultural attributes you want to foster

It's also important to work through issues with employees who may not match your values. A culture is significantly determined by the worst behavior it will tolerate, so hold people accountable not only for results but also for how they accomplish them. Deal with employees who fail to demonstrate the kinds of behavior that are important to the experience you want to create.

Morale Matters

With all the ways you can positively affect morale, it can be overwhelming, but you don't have to do it all. Select the actions you believe will have the greatest impact on your business and begin. Just taking the first steps and starting will be impactful.

Ultimately, morale affects outcomes significantly—both for people and for organizations. And managing morale intentionally can have terrific outcomes.

About the Author

Tracy Brower is a Ph.D. sociologist studying the future of work, work-life fulfillment and happiness. She is the author of The Secrets to Happiness at Work and Bring Work to Life. She is the vice president of workplace insights for Steelcase and on the board for the United Way as well as an executive adviser to several organizations. Tracy's work has been translated into 19 languages. You can find her at tracybrower.com, LinkedIn, or any of the other usual social channels.