Beware: Haunting Pitfalls That Drain Office Morale

Every now and then, we all get caught up in the minutiae of day-to-day workflow. In a perfect world, office spaces would be positive and energetic at all times. However, this isn’t realistic - sometimes the office morale is low, and that’s okay!

As a manager, your team is your greatest asset. It’s your job to identify when they may be dragging their feet and understand why. Fear not - there are plenty of ways to avoid or remedy a drop in morale.?Here are a few to get you started:

1. Avoid “Zombie” Meetings

A popular internet meme summarizes it well: This meeting could have been an email.

There is some truth behind this sentiment. Morale can dip when employees don’t feel stimulated by their work or they’re tired of repeated patterns. Consider your workplace and ask yourself the following:

• What was the room tone by the end of that last meeting and why?
• What has the feedback from my employees been lately and why?
• Are people taking longer than usual to turn work in?
• Are some employees appearing more sluggish than usual?
• Has the quality of work diminished in any way?

To avoid this, employees need to feel like their time and effort are valued - they’ll be much more engaged in work and want to succeed.

Some techniques:

• Keep meetings short and sweet
• Speak to smaller groups at a time (ie. make sure only the required people are in the room)
• And if possible, delegate responsibilities to keep people engaged.
• Always ask for feedback like, “Would there have been a better way for me to get this information to you?” or “How can I best support you during this phase?”

2. Don’t Be An Energy-sucking “Vampire” Manager

Believe it or not, it’s possible for a manager to unintentionally drain their employees of energy. Office teams are motivated when they feel secure financially, physically, and emotionally - if one of these points is off, morale drops with it.?

Try not to overwhelm your staff with work. If they’re feeling in over their heads or unsupported, they’ll eventually burn themselves out. To keep employees healthy while also maintaining high levels of productivity, try to break big projects down into smaller tasks and delegate them thoughtfully.

Avoid micromanaging. If managers watch their team’s every move, it makes employees feel untrustworthy. When you give employees autonomy, they feel responsible for doing a great job. They will rise to the challenge! And if someone is dragging their feet, be careful not to offer feedback that’s either “good” or “bad”. Instead, leave room for nuance and let them express themselves. The two of you should work together to get back on track.?

3. Silent Killers

Some traits may initially seem beneficial or be well-intentioned but could be doing damage over time. These silent but deadly impacts may really hurt your team’s morale in the long run.?

As a manager, do you focus on the positive a lot? Even too much of a good thing can cause a problem. Toxic positivity occurs when there’s an excessive or unrealistic emphasis on the plus side of a situation while ignoring or minimizing the emotions or experiences of others. As a leader, it is imperative that you don’t invalidate the feelings of your employees. Their suppressed feelings could turn into resentment. In the end, it’ll probably come back to bite you.

Another concern?is letting workplace conflicts fester. Did a disagreement between two employees get a little heated in that morning meeting? If you get the sense that one of them is a little bit irked, it might be time to step in. Identify those points of friction, even if there’s no opportunity for resolution yet, checking in on your employees will make them feel heard and validated. Plus, they’ll know they can come to you should the situation worsen.

Overall, try to nip issues in the bud and encourage your employees to address issues head-on. This shows them that you’re committed to making the office a place where everyone can feel safe and respected.

At the end of the day, you have the ability to set the tone in your office. If your team is going through a slump, don’t give up! Trust that with time, you’ll find the perfect formula to revive the group’s morale again.