The longer the stretch, the greater the potential for declines. ... Use fun activities to tighten the bonds with your teams. It takes even more guts and a stronger will to pick up the phone and call person after person knowing that your chances of rejection are higher than your chances of making the sale. The coronavirus is forcing companies around the globe to move toward a distributed-team model. These aren't the only ways to boost your virtual team's morale during COVID-19 and beyond. Remote work may be here to stay now that companies have had to grapple with the impact that COVID-19 is having on day-to-day operations and team interactions. It is a subtle shift (that I learned from an improv expert) that can change thinking from reactive to proactive; to look for new opportunities created by the crisis. Employee Morale Boosters: 25 Ideas Your Staff Will Love. Hosting weekly or periodic video conferences to keep employees up to date on COVID-19 facts is essential. And that’s especially true today. Leaders and managers must be seen and heard often. Talk about your pets, something that you find engaging, like a hobby, whatever anyone wants to share. From major initiatives like business goals to small tasks like ensuring there’s ink in the printer, there’s a lot that goes into running an organization. By Sujan Patel, Co-founder, Web Profits @sujanpatel. By now, your people are adapting to the temporary COVID-19 working conditions and/or shutdowns. From offering company learning days to bringing in a marching band (yes, tubas and all), try these 25 ideas to boost morale. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Discover the secrets to IT leadership success with these tips on project management, budgets, and dealing with day-to-day challenges. Keep communication open. Hey, we get it. The health of your employees has never been more at risk or more on their minds. Getty Creative By John Tabis 2014-11-24 04:28:01 UTC. Denise Graziano is CEO of Graziano Associates, a boutique marketing communications firm with a unique internal and external approach that helps companies to vitalize their workforce, and build brand ambassadorship from within. We are dealing with what is now officially a pandemic, with few things feeling more concerning to most employees these days. 17 Ways to Boost Employee Morale During COVID-19 That Aren’t Happy Hours. This is a good time to share fact-based videos and news from authority sites for discussion. This crisis will be temporary, but the effects will be longer lasting. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. As we did in spring and summer, we’ll have to come up with new things to do in fall—fortunately, it was easy to find great spring activities and fun things to do in the summer during COVID-19. Doing less with more may become the norm for some organizations. Staying focused on what can be done, not what cannot, from all managerial levels, creates a more productive environment. New plans will evolve, including new opportunities post-crisis. Key Benchmarks for Manufacturing Companies, Resilience 2021: ‘Adapt, Improvise And Overcome’, VUCA Leadership: A Guide To Surviving And Thriving In Chaotic Times, What CEOs And Boards Can Learn From The President’s Erratic Exit, Barra’s EV Speech Tries To Steal A March On The Future, The Covid Vaccine: Lessons From The Tylenol Crisis, Sign Up to Receive Chief Executive Magazine, CEO Confidence Continues To Climb In January. There are many simple, yet powerful, techniques you can use to instantly boost employee morale. by Linda Dono, AARP, March 17, 2020 | Comments: 0 CES 2021: All of the business tech news you need to know, Adobe Flash: It's finally over, so uninstall Flash Player now, Is 5G overhyped? Provide a portal for employees to share WFH hacks and mishaps. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Prioritize 1:1 and team meetings and check-ins to ensure benchmarks are being met. All three main constituencies—employees, customers and investors—are looking for answers, many of which you cannot possibly have. The challenges posed to business by the novel coronavirus are unprecedented, but CEOs can help keep spirits up with the following tips. Remember, the center is just an email away for any of your mental health needs - [email protected]. Track COVID-19 local and global coronavirus cases with active, recoveries and death rate on the map, with daily news and video. Challenge them to find a new way around any roadblocks. Keep in mind that this doesn't need to be costly; it's about giving your team members something to look forward to. Scrappy teams produce results because they work with what they have, often against much larger opponents, including a crisis. We asked HR practitioners, via the SHRM Connect online community and LinkedIn, to share their ideas for easy, affordable ways to boost morale in the work environment. Hosting weekly or periodic video conferences to keep employees up to date on COVID-19 facts is essential. Pappas notes that potlucks, birthday clubs, and fun activities for department meetings can be good ways to boost morale. Quebec guarantees COVID-19 vaccine boosters within 90 days of first dose Amid the urgency of a worsening pandemic, the province has opted to delay the second shot in a … Subscribe here. Now is the time to revisit your health care programs and identify what additional measures can be taken to protect the health of your employees. You could also take suggestions from staff on small rewards to distribute. It may forever change how some businesses operate (travel, tourism, events, et al). Employees want to know you’re in this trench with them. People feel most anxious when they have no control. Long after the self-isolation and quarantines are lifted, the impact is likely to leave companies wondering whether they should be considering a fully or partially remote workforce going forward. SEE: The tech pro's guide to video conferencing (free PDF) (TechRepublic). No matter how down in the dumps your team is, these techniques are guaranteed to … Remember, the center is just an email away for any of your mental health needs - [email protected]. March 18, 2020 by Lara … Helping employees remain calm is a vital undertaking and one that your leadership team should enter into seriously. Set a weekly virtual team meeting to discuss not only work-related topics but also do a check-in to see how team members are doing. Happiness during the stress and uncertainty of COVID-19 can seem elusive. Leaders and their HR teams have a lot to manage during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period of unknowns, it is critical for leaders to take a consistent, calm tone and measured actions when it comes to longer-range plans. While your employees may be working remotely, this new virtual environment doesn't have to hurt morale. As a small pick-me-up, you may want to reward your team for being so awesome during a difficult time by offering a virtual gift card. “Here is how this will affect you/your team…”, “This is why we are handling it this way…”. These are unprecedented times calling for unprecedented actions throughout the global business world, and that means moving to a virtual workforce. By. Now and in the future, remember that communication is a dialogue. 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