Three Ways to Assess Team Morale
The gorillas are the emotional barometer in a zoo.
I learned this recently from a leader at an engineering design firm. He was talking about a project he led inside a zoo; construction would stop and start based on the gorillas’ moods. If the gorillas were happy, the construction would commence. If the gorillas weren’t happy, it was a sign that other animals were stressed and construction would have to be delayed.
One thing I love about animals (and infants!) is that their feelings are pretty transparent. Human adults? Not so much.
We all can put on wonderful acts, or masks, and dance around uncomfortable truths when we’re feeling less than our best.
As leaders, whether on the job or in our own homes, it’s important to assess climate … always. Moreover, how people feel impacts their productivity, performance, and relationships – all things too important to success to ignore.
When I served in the Marines, I was told all the time that it’s critical to assess morale. We were encouraged constantly to go to where the work was being done and have face-to-face conversations around the simple question: “How’s morale?” That’s a pretty direct approach, which often yielded great results. Consequently, in these exchanges, I’d get real answers, that often came with recommendations and potential solutions on what to do about it.
Three Ways to Assess Morale
Here are some other ways to assess the climate that you work in and around:
Angie (Morgan) Witkowski is the NY Times Best-Selling author of SPARK, Leading from the Front, and Bet on You. She's a leadership coach, talk show host, and keynote speaker whose service in the United States Marine Corps inspires much of her work. Learn more about Angie