3 simple steps you can take to boost employee morale

3 simple steps you can take to boost employee morale3 simple steps you can take to boost employee moraleLow Staff Morale is one of the most common issues leaders report that they struggle with. We need help, one manager told me. People are negative, complaining, and dont feel like the management cares about anything but getting the work done. And, to be honest, thats how they have been treated. We need to turn things around.Practical steps to takeHere are three action steps you can take to improve (your own and) others morale1. Conduct a Self-AssessmentAsk yourself What am I doing that isnt helpful in creating a positive workplace?This could include bothactions(complaining about a co-worker to aelendher colleague) andattitudes(harboring anger and grudges for past offenses). Consider your response carefully. See if any of the attributes below might apply to you.Grumbling, complainingRarely complimentHarbor anger/grudgeIrritabilityQuick to blame/find faultSay one thing, but do anotherQ uick temperGossipingWithhold informationImpatientSee coworkers as a work unit vs a partHave an its their problem attitudeDont beat yourself up if you have done any of these things (they are a common response to stress), but do recognize they may be a sign that you need to take some time to recharge and re-evaluate the image you would like to project about yourself.2. Dont contribute to the negativityThe second proactive step you can take is toactively disengage from participating in negative interactions. This can simply mean that you stop complaining. (Remember the saying, If you cant say anything positive, dont say anything at all?)Or, if a group discussion turns negative, remove yourself from the situation. You dont have to say anything, or call them out. Just quietly excuse yourself and dont contribute. Your leaving will send a message, and may lead to a follow-up discussion with one of the team members. Someone may say, I noticed you left when we starting griping about manageme nts lack of communication. A good response might be, Yes, Ive decided to try to not add fuel to the fire. Ive found making negative comments doesnt really help.3. Begin to communicate positive messages to othersActively demonstrating positive communicationis the third simple step we each can take. Sometimes, this can be as simple as saying, Wasnt the sunset beautiful last night? Or, Im sure thankful for air conditioning. Positive comments tend to dampen and throw water on a smoldering, negative environment.A second way to be positive is to share your appreciation for your teammates and the work they do. A simple thanks can be meaningful, especially if its specific. Something like, Jen, thanks for getting your paperwork to me on time. That will help me get the information together for the managers meeting without having to rush at the last minute. This can be an effective way to soften up those colleagues who seem fairly hardened and angry- though, it may take some time.NOT just maki ng employees feel goodFor managers and supervisors, a key point to understand is thatcommunicating appreciation isnt just about making people feel good.Rather, organizations function better when employees (and managers) feel valued. Conversely, when employees dont feel appreciated, badeanstalt results followHigher rates of tardiness and absenteeismIncreased incidence of not following policies and proceduresMore internal conflict and stress among team membersDecrease in productivity and quality of workHigher turnover rate - people dont continue with the company as longLower client satisfaction ratings.All of these results contribute to higher costs for organizations. Research has shown that companies with high levels of staff who feel appreciated are 18% more productive and 22% more profitable than companies with staff who report low levels of feeling appreciated. In fact, finding and training new employees is one of the most expensive non-productive costs to businesses.Foundational fact Not everyone feels appreciated in the same wayEmployees have different languages of appreciation (and unique actions within each language.) Believe it or not, not everyone likes verbal praise. Some people dont trust words while others believe actions speak louder than words. For some, time together is the most important message you can send. We have identified5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace(see the chart below).It can be difficult to determine which of the five languages of appreciation an employee prefers. As a result, we created anonline instrumentthat identifies team members primary and secondary languages of appreciation, and allows them to specify the unique actions important to them.When an employees preferred language of appreciation and specific action that is meaningful to them are used, we can hit the target and help them feel genuinely appreciated.Good things happen when employees feel appreciatedStaff moralecanbe improved by helping team members feel t ruly valued. The key is to communicateauthenticappreciation in the ways that are meaningful to each team member. Over time, as leaders and colleagues learn to effectively communicate appreciation to each another, people begin to value others andfeelvalued for the contributions they make, which in turn increases their motivation and morale.This article originally appeared on Appreciation at Work.