There is a great deal of literature on how to motivate followers and what needs to be done to boost morale. Too often these revolve around personality traits you’re encouraged to develop or must possess genetically. From charisma to team hats, conventional wisdom continues to not offer any real advice to us “normal” humans to deal with other “normal” humans. I believe the two biggest morale boosters and motivators aren’t something you can buy. You have to work for them.
Being Genuine?
“You must be genuine” or “you must be sincere,” I see this in printed literature about leadership all the time. To most, I imagine, it means something emotional and requires we “feel” a certain way. I don’t agree. If you have made it your job to complete the mission and you believe it’s your duty to get it done the best way possible because it’s you’re responsibility, I submit to you the following. It’s easy to be genuine about all the parts of the job that you perceive will aid you in your quest. You don’t have to “feel” happy to genuinely appreciate contributions to that success. Your recognition of your team’s contributions will be genuine, sincere, and specific. You will also be sincere in your desire to boast morale, motivate your team, and build a stronger workforce.
But I ain’t got the money.
Motivation and morale is built on a day-to-day basis and isn’t as much about monetary incentives as it is about appreciation and recognition. Pay and benefits generally get your workforce in the door but after that their effect on daily motivation and morale drops off sharply. What really has the greatest effect doesn’t cost extra money and includes things you should be doing anyway. They do, however, require a concerted effort on your part and as the cliche goes, “that’s why they pay you the big bucks.”
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| Orange - Stressed, Nervous, Mixed, Confused, Upset, Challenged, Indignant |
Do you need to be wearing a mood ring?
First and foremost is your demeanor. Consistently relaxed and professional should be your “mood” everyday and all day. You can be high energy and still be relaxed, they are not contradictory. Nothing raises stress levels in your people than an inconsistent or “moody” boss. If you’re consistently relaxed day after day and without regard to circumstances, your team will learn to relax as well. Some more than others but certainly as a group. They will follow your example in dealing with each other as well. However, please do not confuse relaxed with lackadaisical. Not being uptight is a far cry from not caring about the task at hand. If you’re supervising the restaurant crew during a dinner rush, you want them on their toes but not stressed because the boss is wigging out. Use those stressful situations to demonstrate calm professional behavior under pressure.
If you have a problem remaining calm when under a stressful situation, it may be that you’re too focused on how the situation is affecting you. Instead, focus your attention on the team and what you can do to help them step up while under this pressure. Always be mindful of the fact that you’re setting an example, good or bad, which will be reflected back to you by your team members.
Simple recognition.
The second most effective morale booster is your expression of genuine appreciation. This is typically expressed verbally as “Thank you.” It may be simple but it’s a huge motivator and morale booster. Of course, just running around saying thank you doesn’t work. In fact it cheapens the expression to the point of ruining your credibility.
Using the criteria of “genuine” established above, let’s apply it to your show of appreciation. You have begun to establish in your mind the elements that contribute to your goal of mission accomplishment. This mindset enables you to identify team contributions and how they fit into achieving the overall goal. Now it’s just a matter of showing your appreciation when something is done that deserves to be recognized as an achievement, big or small. You genuinely appreciate it for what it is and can be specific when expressing your thanks.
...that’s great but...
I have always been able to say thank you and act appreciative. I’ve generally been genuine about my appreciation for the effort involved but not necessarily the result. The obstacle I’ve had to overcome is their failure to meet my personal standards and expectations. It never helps to say “Thank you but…” because it makes the thank you worthless. Yet, it’s difficult to show genuine appreciation for work that doesn’t meet your high personal standards. These run the gamut from the simple “wasn’t as good as I would’ve done,” “took too long,” and “ran over budget,” to “barely met the minimum requirements” or you’re “too worried about how it makes you look.” It’s an issue that has to be worked out or the troops will pick up on it sooner rather than later.
Since our thank you’s have to be tied to a specific “what” and be directed at activity that advances our cause, we have to establish reasonable and achievable standards to that end. These standards, when met, advance the cause and therefore qualify for recognition and genuine appreciation.
...you want your credibility like you want your credit score, as high as possible…
“Thank you” is an easy expression to use and, as I stated earlier, can have a huge impact on morale and motivation. Much of it’s impact comes from the credibility of the one saying it. If you’ve established your integrity as one of high degree, then your word is seen as honest, your appraisal as significant, and your praise as something to be sought. If you have shown a distinct lack of integrity, your “thank you” won’t carry the same weight and may even be viewed in a negative light (e.g. only butt kissers get thanked).
The other credibility comes from the “Thank you’s” themselves. Besides being specific in regards to “for what,” they must be appropriate and deserving. “Thank you all for attending this (mandatory) meeting,” is not a credible show of appreciation. Random post-it notes left in a desk or on a computer monitor that say “Thank you” are not credible. It may credible and morale enhancing (for your wife) to send your wife flowers with a note that says “Thank you for being you” but, in my mind, it’s lazy to tell your team members thanks without a specific, credible, and deserving reason. In other words, while liberally sprinkling “Thank you’s” around you should also be judicious in their application. You want them to maintain their credibility. You want your troops to recognize that they are meant to point out a positive contribution to the mission.
Cost free and status blind.
These two elements of motivation and morale don’t cost any money. If you have little or no control over the personnel budget or monetary incentives, you still have some powerful tools to boost morale and motivate your team. You can also employ these regardless of your title or position. In fact, the sooner you start practicing them the better you’ll get. So, whether you’re entry level or first-line supervisor, you can use them to the mission’s advantage.
If you’re so inclined...
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