This document discusses strategies for improving employee morale and motivation. It defines morale and motivation and identifies signs of poor morale such as absenteeism. It also outlines ways to boost morale, including praising employees and involving them in decisions. The document also discusses extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and how to create motivational alignment between employees' desires and their work. It concludes with questions about applying these strategies in the workplace.
2. CONTENTS
3-4 Introduction
5-6 Definitions
7-8 Help employees understand the purpose of their work
9-10 Model behaviours
11-12 Keys to successful commitment
13-15 Signs of poor morale
16-18 What do high levels of morale look like?
19-23 Morale boosters which have worked in the past
24-29 Ways to motivate employees
30-31 Common motivators in the workplace
32-33 Regulation and motivation
34-36 Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation
37-39 Basic desires which impact motivation
40-41 Creating a motivational fact
42-43 Promotion or prevention?
44-46 How do employees want to be paid?
47-48 Effective praising
49-50 Conclusion, summary and questions
2
4. Introduction to Toronto Training
and HR
Toronto Training and HR is a specialist training and
human resources consultancy headed by Timothy Holden
10 years in banking
15 years in training and human resources
Freelance practitioner since 2006
The core services provided by Toronto Training and HR
are:
Training event design
Training event delivery
HR support with an emphasis on reducing
costs, saving time plus improving employee
engagement and morale
Services for job seekers
4
8. • Job description
• In writing
• Purpose
• Interrelation
• Job description
• Mission/vision
• Team mission
• Communication
• One on one
8
Help employees
understand the
purpose of their
work
10. • Be enthusiastic
• Be honest
• Work hard
• Be ethical
• Be respectful
• Have fun
• Be willing to be wrong
• Stay calm
• Communicate
frequently
• Support the
organization 10
Model behaviours
14. • Increased absenteeism
• Bad-mouthing among
employees is
commonplace
• Growing friction among
factions
• Limited socializing
among employees
• High incidence of
employee complaints
and/or grievances
14
Signs of poor
morale 1 of 2
15. • Increased appearance of
graffiti in the workplace
• Obvious boredom on
the job
• Problems with litter and
property damage
• Growing incidents of
insubordination
• An unusual number of
transfer requests
• The absence of laughter
in the workplace
15
Signs of poor
morale 2 of 2
17. Employees…
• Look forward to coming
to work
• Show up fresh every
morning
• Care about the
organization
• Support organizational
goals
• Volunteer
• Tackle assignments
willingly
17
What do high
levels of
morale looks
like? 1 of 2
18. Employees…
• Pitch in to help each
other
• Demonstrate pride in
their work
• Take good care of their
work space, tools and
equipment
• Work with minimal
direction
• Occasionally go the
second mile
• Have fun at work 18
What do high
levels of
morale looks
like? 2 of 2
20. • Practice fairness and
consistency with all
employees
• Praise in public
• Criticize in private
• Create opportunities for
employees to learn and
grow
• Listen to suggestions
• Encourage and be
receptive to new ideas
• Help beginners
20
Morale
boosters
which have
worked in
the past
1 of 4
21. • Be visible and accessible
• Encourage humour and fun
in the workplace
• Respect employee privacy
• Know something about
the personal lives of your
employees
• Celebrate successes, great
or small. (Sometimes it
pays to celebrate mistakes
as well-it shows it’s OK to
take risks)
• Avoid favouritism 21
Morale
boosters
which have
worked in
the past
2 of 4
22. • Give credit and accept
blame
• Serve as a buffer and an
advocate for your people
• Share decision-making and
give employees choices
• Keep employees informed
and be honest
• Provide frequent and
accurate feedback
• Recognize individual and
team accomplishments
• Admit mistakes 22
Morale
boosters
which have
worked in
the past
3 of 4
23. • Always provide clear
directions
• Avoid finger pointing and
blaming
• Practice civility and model
respectful/mannerly
behaviour by all employees
• Protect employees from
unwelcome interruptions
and distractions
• Promote from within
whenever possible
• Lead by example 23
Morale
boosters
which have
worked in
the past
4 of 4
25. • Personally thank
employees for doing
a good job-do it
timely, often, and
sincerely
• Be willing to take the
time to meet with
and listen to
employees—as much
as they need or want
25
Ways to
motivate
employees
1 of 5
26. • Provide specific
feedback about
performance of the
person, the
department, and the
organization
• Strive to create a
work environment
that is open, trusting,
and fun-encourage
new ideas and
initiative
26
Ways to
motivate
employees
2 of 5
27. • Provide information on
how the organization
makes and loses money,
upcoming products and
strategies for competing in
the marketplace, and how
the person fits into the
overall plan
• Involve employees in
decisions, especially when
those decisions affect them
27
Ways to
motivate
employees
3 of 5
28. • Provide employees with a
sense of ownership in their
work and the work
environment
• Recognize, reward, and
promote people based on
their performance; deal
with low and marginal
performers so that they
improve or leave
28
Ways to
motivate
employees
4 of 5
29. • Give people a chance to
grow and learn new skills;
show them how you can
help them meet their goals
within the context of
meeting the organization’s
goals
• Celebrate successes—of
the organization, of the
department, and of
individuals in it; put time
aside for teambuilding and
morale-building activities
29
Ways to
motivate
employees
5 of 5
45. • Based on how well I
perform
• Linked to inflation/cost
of living
• Based on my
experience
• Linked to how well my
organization performs
• Linked to the ‘going
rate’ for the job that I
do
45
How do
employees
want to be
paid? 1 of 2
46. • Linked to how well my
team/department
performs
• Based on how long I’ve
worked for my
employer
• Based on a trade union
negotiated pay deal
• Based on how old I am
46
How do
employees
want to be
paid? 2 of 2