For a business to succeed, it must have employees who enjoy and are inspired coming to work each day. From the owner to the entry-level staff, each person should walk into the office with a good sense of humor. Motivated to greet the workday, these team members will yield better performance and help catapult the business to the next level.
While this might seem obvious, many companies operate in just the opposite manner. In fact, owners and managers of all kinds of businesses fail to recognize the impact that morale can have on everyone. In addition to employees, the right attitude will spill over into other areas as well. Vendors, customers and business partners will all appreciate working with a company that consistently has an upbeat attitude.
Stress comes with running a company. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to let it make you a grump. Instead, stress can be turned into a positive for everyone in your camp. Whether you use essential oils, yoga or some other form of natural stress management, you can share these with the team to reduce their stress as well.
It is absolutely vital that those in ownership and managerial positions are able to maintain a good attitude. The goodwill naturally flows outward to others and reflects positively on the company itself. Of course, it must be natural to be effective.
Laughter is good for the body, mind, and spirit. Try to incorporate it into the workday during appropriate times. Learning how to tell jokes artfully can be an indispensable management tool to bring tensions down. Of course, in an environment where laughing is encouraged, natural comedians will jump in as well.
Just as humor can break the tension, so can inspirational thoughts. In moments when laughter isn’t appropriate, reflections might be. Inspirational quotes and writings can also be effective in keeping morale high. Signs and posters throughout the building can help to accomplish this.
If everyone arrives around the same time, a team meeting can be a great way to get the day started. Rather than make time to berate employees for their wrongdoings or shortcomings, praise the work accomplished the previous day and lay out what you expect for the next day. When done right, employees will walk away from the meeting excited to jump in and do their parts.
When morale is low, people are more likely to call in sick, even when they aren’t. Some folks will go to lengths like taking unpaid days off just to get away from a toxic work environment. Likewise, unhappy employees might arrive a few minutes late and leave a bit early for the same reasons.
Low morale will also reduce productivity among the staff who do trudge through the doors each day. Poor work performance reflects back into the community and will harm your reputation.
As you can see, improving morale through humor and inspiration is essential to your business success. Although it might take some effort to change your mindset and get everyone on board, you will be much happier with your company once you have!
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Adam Christing is a popular Event MC and Funny Motivational Speaker. He is the author of Your Life is a Joke: 12 Ways to Go from Ha Ha to AHA! (For more information go to AdamChristing.com)
