2 Morale Builders That Don’t Cost a Cent

Companies spend a lot of money on morale builders. They include compensation and recognition plans. They include events such as conferences, training and award programs.

High morale yields motivated employees. They work better as a team. They adapt better.

Yet, the best morale builders don’t cost a cent. They are about relationships. Relationships are the secret to implementing strategies. Here are two.

Good morale builders can elevate employees from the weeds to tackle real business needs.

1. Remember and Use Employees’ Names

Remembering and using employees’ names is the first morale builder I emphasize. People love to hear their names. With practice and cheating, leaders can remember up to five hundred names. Using a name at least twice in conversation is a good standard.

Remembering names can be hard. We can train our minds to do so though. Using an “office chart” (think “seating chart”) and employee roster helps.

As exercise picture try to match a face to each name. Doing this before a site visit works well. Asking managers and human resources professionals for help is good too.

2. Shaking Hands

Touching is powerful. Shaking hands is a touch allowed at work. Patients’ perceptions of time spent with a doctor doubles when there is physical contact.

Each employee should receive a handshake from a senior manager every three to six months. It is easy and fun. It can be awkward at times. People do not expect it. Knowing what to say can solve that though.

Touching does not have to be direct either.  Personally handing someone an item is an example. The book, tablet or phone becomes a touch surrogate.

I learned this from a bookstore’s manager. Their research found that handing someone a book rather than just pointing to it had a powerful effect. The likelihood of a sale increased by over 300%.

Regularly Apply Morale Builders

These morale builders work like exercise. A single workout does not do much. Done regularly over time though, exercise makes bodies healthier. Hearts beats stronger. Blood flows better. Fewer blocks exist in arteries and veins.

Done regularly over time, these morale builders work. They make teams healthier. Relationships are stronger. Communication flows better. Fewer obstacles get in the way of plans.

Morale builders are about people. Success is about people. The only question is how much we believe that. With these morale builders, we don’t need to spend a cent to find out.