Eight Ways to Increase Staff Motivation & Morale

During the first break-out session at this year’s NAHAM conference in Orlando, I delivered a speech entitled “Keys to Effective Leadership in a Diverse Workplace.”  Within this presentation, I discussed a variety of topics including incentives, rewards, goal setting, time management and increasing staff morale and motivation.  By the end of my presentation I had realized that the attendees were most interested in my section on increasing morale and motivation. 

The following is an overview of the top eight ways you can accomplish this within your team or organization:

1)     Public Displays of Appreciation

While money can sometimes be a motivating factor, there is extensive data suggesting that employees have a strong interest in being recognized by their managers in front of their peers.  The next time one of your team members provides a remarkable customer experience, try acknowledging them at the next department meeting. 

A key aspect of this recognition is to request that they stand up in the front of the room and that you sincerely thank them for a specific instance where their work went beyond expectations.  This act will put a smile on their faces (as well as in their minds) for quite some time which will in turn enhance their work satisfaction and attitude.

2)     Work a Station Occasionally

Many managers complain about all of the calls, meetings and paperwork that keep them in their office for days at a time.  While this may be unavoidable it has been my experience that employees would like to see their managers walk in their shoes from time to time. 

For example a manager in the registration area should occasionally sit with patients and help with the admission process.  Not only will the staff appreciate the fact that their manager understands what it is like to do their jobs, but by being on the front lines managers will hear many things about their employees that they would not have heard with their office door closed. 

3)     Training Should Not Be a One Time Event

Many organizations have strong new-hire training programs in place, however not enough on-going training for their employees.  Managers should constantly invest in a cycle of success for their employees. 

This means providing regular development opportunities for them.  Managers should want this for their staff, and research suggests that employees generally have a desire to keep improving and learning.  If you run out of training ideas, ask a vendor or consultant to come in and discuss market trends or case studies of other successful organizations. 

Bottom line, in order to keep spirits high management needs to provide employees with frequent opportunities for professional development.

4)     Provide Regular Performance Reviews

Managers need to keep a close eye on how their employees are doing.  Regular feedback is a necessity.  This cannot be accomplished through an annual review.  I recommend providing reviews on a quarterly basis – twice in writing and twice verbally. 

I have found that most good employees want to know how their manager rates their work.  So, increasing performance discussions will increase morale and continuing that communication throughout the year will keep the motivation high. 

Additionally, providing consistent feedback gives management more data to make changes in staff should an employee not be performing well.

5)     Set Clear Expectations

You can start to frame your expectations as early as the new employee interview process.  Then follow that by using a simple “expectations document” to remind employees of their objectives as the year progresses.  This resource can be used for both new hires and existing team members.

The “expectation document” lists what you need and want from an employee during a review period.  It is a working document that will change as an employee grows and objectives are updated during the review process.

This type of communication is vital to the success of an employee.  It has been proven that people want to know what is expected of them and how they will be measured against those objectives.  If this information is delivered in a clear and concise fashion, you will greatly increase morale and motivation.

6)     Empower Your Employees to Say Yes!

Most organizations spend a lot of time and money trying to hire and retain high quality people.  This allows management to trust that staff members know right from wrong.  If that is the case, then there is no need for policies and procedures that make it hard for employees to do the right thing.  The harder you make this process, the more frustrating it will become and ultimately your customers (both internal and external) will be affected.

7)     Control Team Negativity

Unfortunately, we will all come across an employee who is a bad apple.  If this is your reality, then move quickly to improve the situation. 

If one person has a bad attitude, then separate that person from the team and work with them on improving behavior.  You do not want one person’s negativity to have an impact on your top performers. 

Additionally, good employees want to see their management address problems head on.  Get in front of your problems right from the start and you will be amazed how much your team dynamic improves.

8)     Enable a Sense of Progress

Employees do not expect to move from the front line to upper management overnight, but they do want to feel like their job has purpose, and that they are moving in the right direction.  Low levels of morale and motivation can set in, if employees do not think that they are making progress. 

Give your employees opportunities that will allow them to validate that they are making progress.  Develop a career ladder or appoint team members to lead special projects or tasks.  These are small ways to show employees that they are moving forward. 

Hopefully these eight ideas serve you well as you continue to shape and mold your team.  Always keep in mind that employee morale and motivation can play a significant role in the short and long term success of your organization.