Proven strategies to Boost Morale in the Workplace

From a personal standpoint…

This month, on Employee Appreciation Day, I took one last look at the majestic building; the beautiful healthcare organization I have been working in for the past few years.   Having completed my resignation notice period, I walked out feeling liberated.  Liberated from a feeling of being totally defeated, deflated and unwanted.  Feeling unappreciated and under valued was more stressful than the actual demands of the work itself.

It’s a decision that nurses all over face every day. Burnout is real. But for some nurses, because of the way we are internally conditioned, it’s often extremely difficult to follow through with it. And I get that. But what actually breaks my heart is when we choose not to choose at all.  

Leaving this workplace has not been easy.  I have invested heavily in this place.  More tears, blood and sweat than I could ever describe.  Hours of hard work, patience and tolerance. I have my regrets and my feelings of guilt. 

I belong to a generation where when a pencil tip was broken, we learnt to sharpen it.  When toys were damaged, they were fixed, not replaced.   Likewise, when workplaces became difficult, we looked for solutions.  When toxicity crept in, we looked for the root cause and ripped it in the bud.  Giving up, jumping ships or running after fresher pastures was never my style.

I worry about getting into an even more toxic environment.  I fear the unknown.  As I lay awake on my bed at night, I have questioned myself many a times if I am betraying them.  I feel a sense of failure at not being able to make it work.  At not putting in more effort.  It is one of the hardest yet the most empowering decisions I have ever taken. 

Is it the same getting out of a toxic relationship?  I wondered.

It was the much-needed break my mental health needed.    The never-ending hours and the mandates; missed lunch breaks and family events, frequent staff turnovers and watching colleagues leave for greener pastures was just the beginning.  On deeper introspection, I realize it was the lack of professional advancement opportunities, overall job dissatisfaction, indifferent leadership, bouts of depression and countless sleepless nights that led me to choose my mental health over a false sense of loyalty.

What went wrong?

I had a great manager whom I respected and adored.  However, having said that, I do believe no manager should be thrown on the frontline without being fully equipped to thrive.   Having worked mental health for over 2 decades now, I loved the thought of not knowing what was coming through the door. That kept me excited about the possibilities in mental health nursing and also kept me on my toes. I thought I would never get bored and that the environment would always be welcoming. 

I saw the things that were slowly changing within the organization.  I saw my team begin to crumble and disintegrate before my very eyes.  The team that I had built with passion and a purpose.  The team that I was so very proud of.  The roots of toxic negativity were spreading far and wide and had begun eating up the organization.

I wanted to scream “Help”.  But I had no voice.  Being strategic minded, I began researching ways to improving employee engagement.  But there was no platform where I could actually present my ideas.  My heart bled when I saw employees leaving; one after the other, most of them retainable.

The few who chose to stay paid the price.  The schedules were interchanged and mixed up to match with the existing need, without a solution in sight.  My personal freedom was at stake.  The line between my personal boundaries was beginning to fade.   This was definitely not what I had originally signed up for.

At this point, I had to decide, how far along was I willing to compromise?   My professional integrity was at stake.  The enthusiasm, the do-or-die attitude, the determination to ‘give it my all’ was gradually fading.  The exhaustion, mental fatigue and professional stagnation were beginning to set in.  Could I still be a ‘good nurse’ and do justice to my profession? I had hit the ceiling in my career there.  There was no longer a forward path visible.

Leaders, Managers, Administrators…. it’s time to wake up!

We are almost one year into the pandemic.  We have been dealing with the most stressful of times.   Its time healthcare organizations view employee engagement as an ongoing journey that demands intentional interventions. It is the only way to increase engagement and put an end to lackluster performance and ceaseless turnover. Before one more of your nurse, manager, physician or an assistant jumps ship, consider trying a few of these ways to show you recognize their value and appreciate their contribution.

You and your colleagues may feel unmotivated and unproductive, but there are things you can do to boost morale in your workplace and see everyone’s productivity soar!

Try these techniques to bring more motivation to your workplace:

1. Get to know your colleagues. Congratulations; you have learnt the names of all the nurses and professionals under your supervision. But do you know anything else? The most engaged employees are the ones who feel that their emotional, mental, physical, and even spiritual needs are being met in the workplace. You can’t meet a need if you don’t know what it is. Make time for meaningful conversations with everyone on your team. Do you know them on a personal level or just as professionals? When you make an effort to learn more about them, you may discover what motivates them. It also makes them feel valued and appreciated.

• Recognize your colleague’s birthdays. Birthday cake always lightens the mood!  Hand written cards work the magic too. Having a system in place to recognize your staff on their special occasions goes a long way in showing them you care.

• Ask about their goals—and their lives. What are their hobbies? What challenges do they face on their home front?  Are they single parents trying to juggle between work and daycare?  Can you work around their schedules? What gives them utmost satisfaction in their career?  What are their professional goals?  How can you help them realize their professional goals? Make time for meaningful conversations with everyone on your team. If you don’t remember things well, make notes and keep it in a file.

2. Recognize personal and professional accomplishments. You might be surprised

how a coworker is motivated when they know their team or rather their supervisor acknowledges and rewards the work they’ve done.  Celebrate their successes.  Has your nurse just completed her BSN program?  As your employee gotten that additional certification?  Make sure you acknowledge and celebrate their professional achievements.

• Create an appreciation program. Choose someone as employee-of-the-month/week.

Hang their photo in the lounge until the next is chosen.  Publicly recognize people that do their job well.  Giving someone a pat on the back in private may make a person feel good for a few minutes. Recognizing their contribution or success during a staff meeting will extend that good feeling into days, if not weeks.

There’s a double benefit to praising people in front of others: public praise may also encourage others to work harder as well.

• Write them a personal thank you note if they’ve done something particularly impressive. Be sure to include that in their performance appraisal.  Certificates of appreciation also make them feel valued and appreciated.  I once had a nursing assistant who was alert enough to avert an attempted suicide in a mental health facility.  I made sure to bring it up with the manager and also during the unit meeting.  She was pleasantly surprised when she saw that I had mentioned it in her performance appraisal 8 months later.  She was happy that I had remembered and appreciated.

3. Treat them to lunch. You don’t have to leave the office if time is short; instead, order pizza or have lunch catered every so often. They’ll be able to relax and enjoy their work environment more when given a chance to socialize.

More often than not, a nursing milieu is an endless maelstrom of uncontrollable events beyond our control for which our nursing staff are responsible.   It is a place of physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion where the brave rise to the challenge and save lives by virtue of their knowledge, training, courage, and compassion.

In the midst of all that, refreshing drinks, a pot of coffee, a glass of Diet Coke, or iced tea is an oasis in the desert. And that appreciative sandwich, slice of pizza, cupcake, or salad is the fuel that your over worked nursing staff who has otherwise no chance to take their regular meal break will forever be grateful for. 

More than that, food and drink are among the few pleasures we have time for each shift. They serve as bridges to the end of the day, small reminders of normalcy in a place where so little is normal.

4. Give them a voice. Be present and available. Be visible on the unit; establish an open-door policy; allot time to spend with staff, students, and faculty; listen and speak with intention; and be engaged.

Create a satisfaction survey. These may even be done anonymously. Be sure to address any perceived problems quickly and thoroughly for the best results.  Be authentic in your leadership.  Your authenticity can be validated only by those you lead, so you must ask for and receive feedback.  Devise ways to continually improvise on your skills.

• Hold staff meetings regularly. This will give staff an opportunity to learn about the company’s status as well as voice any questions they may have. Ask for feedback if changes have to be made.  Shared governance gives them a sense of importance.    As a unit manager, I held pre-conferences pre- and post-shift every day.  The pre conferences usually held during handoffs usually helped us plan our day.  We also took a few minutes to recognize birthdays and anniversaries.  The post conferences often helped us debrief after the end of a stressful day.

Shared Governance.  Each time you talk to your sub ordinate, use this as an opportunity to increase engagement.  Engage them in a meaningful dialogue.  Include them in decision making processes.  Brainstorm ideas and ways to implement them.  Let them know you care by helping them grow professionally and own their learning experiences.

• Ask others what type of training they may need to do their job better. By offering continuing training, you’ll prove that your team is valuable to you, and you’ll do your business a great service by having top-notch, highly trained workers.  Often remind your sub-ordinates of what is available to them through the HR processes.

5. Implement a reward program. Everyone likes to get a little extra in his or her paycheck

from time to time. Perhaps there’s a way to incorporate a performance bonus to boost

morale.  Encourage your team by giving them discount coupons to local businesses in your area. This could be a free movie and popcorn at the movie theater, reduced entrance at a family park, or a coupon for a free turkey around the holidays.

When employees feel like they matter, they’re much more willing to give their all for a company.

• Seriously consider putting a rewards program into place, with everyone’s input. You may be surprised at what they come up with, and it might not be as expensive as you imagined! When morale and productivity begin to wane, it’s important to let your employees know you value them. Sure, they get paid for the work they do every week, but sometimes they need a little pick-me-up. Rewards don’t have to be elaborate or expensive. A little bit of recognition can go a long way to improving the atmosphere in your workplace.

Use these ways of boosting morale in the workplace and before you know it, your employees will have smiles on their faces and motivation on their mind!