We don’t need to talk about the importance of team morale building, do we? Employees certainly know all about it, with over half of US workers feeling burned out since the start of the pandemic.

Fortunately, even in these troubled times, there are still plenty of ways companies, organizations, and other teams can boost morale.

Let’s talk about team morale building in 2022!

1. Stay Organized

A disorganized management system is a morale-killer, plain and simple.

Everything from how you onboard, train, communicate, and coach staff should have some level of organization.

Moreover, developing organizational systems that work for you and your employees will go a long way. You can even ask employees to participate!

Employees are often worried about how organized their own workspaces are, so they shouldn’t have to worry about their managers.

2. Offer More of a Life

Work-life balance is one of the most sought-after benefits in the modern workforce. Anything you can do to offer employees more of a life outside of work will boost both morale and productivity.

Consequently, offering employees any greater amount of flexibility or autonomy over their schedules will be well-received. It doesn’t even have to be massive.

For example, if you currently offer a half-hour lunch break, give employees the option to leave a half-hour early instead.

Alternatively, if your work meetings are always scheduled in the middle of the day, offer more flexibility for when employees can start or end their shifts.

For even greater improvements, offer time off as a reward! “If everyone meets the quota by Thursday then we can go home an hour early on Friday”

Also, and most importantly, allow them to enjoy their time away from work. Excessive after-hours work emails and texts have been linked to chronic health and stress conditions, and it’s one of the most common drivers for workers to quit.

3. Use Two-Way Communication

Remember, communication is not a one-way street, so prioritize one-on-one conversation in which you and your team can have their voices heard.

Also, try active listening with your staff or team by asking open-ended questions, showing that you care about their concerns, and helping them say what they need to say.

4. Transparency

No leader can make their employees happy with every new announcement, update, or contact.

However, when challenges do arise, employees typically prefer honesty and transparency from management.

For that reason, don’t try to hide the truth, delay an announcement, or disregard a challenge in the workplace. Transparency is a virtue that is often overlooked in the workplace.

5. Recognition

Everybody wants to be recognized for their hard work. If you have a large team, it can be challenging to give that recognition yourself as often as you’d like to.

Well, you can ask your team to participate. Incorporate a “shoutout box” for people to encourage their teammates on a job well done or get creative!

Also, you can offer physical recognition in some form.

For example, the scouts have badges, other groups have pins, and some have chips. Whatever it is, offering some type of token as recognition for a job well done is a great way to boost morale.

If this sounds appealing to you, you can even specialize them for your organization by ordering custom challenge coins. They’re an affordable, easy, and effective way to give your team the recognition they deserve!

6. Ask for Feedback

We mentioned the importance of two-way communication, but even more, you should open channels for employee feedback.

Ideally, you will have an open-door policy for staff to feel comfortable talking to you, but it also wouldn’t hurt to offer an anonymous channel. This way, you won’t be left wondering if you’re missing anything.

In too many companies, there is a culture among the staff to complain about the problems to each other and allow them to fester because workers are too intimidated to say something to management. Changing that will immediately boost morale.

More importantly, listen and respond to feedback constructively. If employees are constantly talking about something that causes excess stress in their daily routine, having a manager who fixes those problems will boost morale.

7. Offer Feedback

Employees want to know how they are doing, and they want to grow within their careers. As a result, offering one-on-one employee evaluations every six to twelve months will go a long way.

Of course, positive reinforcement is the key to boosting morale, but again, so is transparency.

Essentially, offer praise when necessary and be honest about weaknesses, but don’t be brutal!

8. Offer Incentives

Whether it’s leaving early, a vacation, a bonus, a raise, or anything that your company can swing, employees are more productive when they have something to work toward.

Now, this can be at the individual level, but if you make it a collective effort, then it will work even better in a team situation.

Think of the example we offered earlier about leaving early on Fridays and apply that same thinking however you want!

9. Team-Building Activities

Taking a day every few months to actually work on team-building is a great way to boost morale.

There are thousands of activities to choose from, which means you can easily fill up an entire day if you want, or simply take an hour or two out of the day!

Make Team Morale Building a Priority

Now that you know some tips on team morale building, start putting them to use as soon as possible. Workers are feeling the stress more than ever, so take a load off their back and keep them motivated through 2022 and beyond.

Use these tips wisely and feel free to keep reading our blog for our latest tips!