PEOPLE: HR Corner Proven Ways You Can Improve Office Morale and Productivity By Staff Monday, April 20, 2015 4:11 PM NEW YORK—With some frequency, I’m often approached or called by a client company to discuss an awkward topic: office morale and team productivity. It is awkward because to some business owners, "office morale" seems like a term invented by employees who simply want to have more fun at work, rather than work. The fact that they take time to call or to contact me indicates that they understand that office morale is an important characteristic of their business and that there are initiatives that can keep everyone productive, happy and fulfilled in their work.There are many actions and initiatives to boost the collective morale of your team, and not all of them require time or money to implement. But first, they have to understand the cause of low morale before simply applying a “fix.”Symptoms of Low MoraleLow morale isn't always obvious. Learning to identify the signs is important for business owners, managers and supervisors, and team leaders since most workers won't openly say that they're feeling discouraged or frustrated. Spotting the symptoms early, and addressing them proactively, can help you keep your team operating smoothly with minimal setbacks or interruptions to your overall productivity. Here are some examples:• Lack of cooperation. When office morale is low, employees are generally less likely to work well together, and may be less willing to accept complex or burdensome tasks from higher up the corporate ladder.• Infrequent personal conversations. Friendly conversations aren't a necessary requirement for successful business operations, but a scarcity of personal communication could be a direct symptom of low morale.• Few, if any, personal initiatives. If you notice that fewer of your employees are taking individual initiatives to better the company, it could be a sign that morale has dipped.• Increased turnover. A higher number of people leaving your company could be a sign that morale is actively dropping.• Overall poor performance or attitude. This is a more obvious symptom that can be overlooked when the changes in performance or attitude are gradual. Are your employees doing less than they used to? Is verbal negativity more rampant than it once was?So what actions do I frequently recommend to prevent low morale? Here are 8 tips that I have found to be successful and that you can follow and get immediate success:1. Recognize Individual and Group Achievements. Morale tends to sink when people feel that their work is not being recognized or appreciated. When employers look to reward their employees for consistent hard work, they think of offering raises, promotions or new benefits, but smaller recognitions can go a lot further and cost a lot less. When a team memberor one of your teams accomplishes their goals, sincerely congratulate them and thank them for their contributions. When an individual performs exceptionally well, congratulate him or her personally and publicly. Your goal should be to create an environment where people realize their work is appreciated and that you care.2. Make Time for Fun in the Office. "Work" and "Fun" are not mutually exclusive terms. You can inject some regular fun into the business without adversely affecting a productive work day. Have some recreational activities in the break room, and go out of your way to share a conversation or tell a new joke if you have one ready. Break up the day with a little bit of fun and work won't seem as much like work. A few minutes away from the desk can improve productivity for hours and provide consistent increases to morale worth far more than those few lost minutes of work.3. Allow Time for Personal Projects. People can get discouraged if they're only working on "work" projects. Grant your employees time to pursue their individual passions, and they'll maintain their vision and passion for much longer. You can select a specific day of the month for "personal project" work, an hour or two every week, or simply grant an extra day of vacation time for employees to use for personal or community work.4. Change Up the Routine. Morale can sink when the office starts to feel stagnate and lacking vibrancy. When an employee comes in at the same time, to the same place, and does the same things in the same order every day, you can expect them to occasionally feel bored or discouraged. Changing up the routine can have a dramatic effect on morale, even if the changes are temporary or subtle. Make alterations to the office décor, rotate your lunch break schedules or take impromptu company breaks. Any break from the routine can be positive for collective morale.5. Celebrate Personal Milestones. Your employees have lives outside of the office, and it's your job to appreciate that fact. Keep tabs on your employees and celebrate their personal milestones. Doing so not only makes them feel like they're a part of your business family, it also involves your other employees as part of a bigger collective. Celebrate birthdays by gathering people for a celebratory break, send flowers when one of your team has a child, and send a gift when one of your employees gets married. Little things make a big difference.6. Promote Your Own. If you run a large company that makes new hires and new promotions on a regular basis, make sure you endeavor to promote your own employees. Regularly hiring outside personnel to fill an opening, even if the candidate has high qualifications, can damage your team’s morale. Instead, make it a point to promote from within. Doing so improves individual employee relationships with the company and demonstrates to the other workers that their efforts are known and will be recognized and rewarded.7. Inspire Being Positive. The best way to encourage positive attitudes throughout the company is to carry a positive attitude yourself. Positive mentalities, just like negative mentalities, are contagious and compounding. Say positive things, walk with a smile on your face, and personally greet people when they arrive to work. They'll be more likely to do the same things to their co-workers, and before you know it, you'll be nurturing a collective environment of positivity. Remain sincere, as over-the-top positivity can sometimes have the opposite effect, but stay consistent even on the tough days and you'll reap the benefits.8. Open the Floor. The biggest morale booster you can offer is letting your employees know that their voices are heard and respected. Take time out of your day to ask your employees how they feel about their assignments, what they think of the new company direction, or if they have any standing concerns. Whether you have a weekly team meeting, or a morning ‘check in’ meeting with your team, encourage an open dialogue. Doing so will give employees the opportunity to feel like they are an integral and important piece of the company.Your employees are the force responsible for executing your business strategy, and if you can keep them happy and motivated, you'll have a much easier time achieving your near- and long-term goals. While extra monetary compensation and tangible perks aren't always an option within every company’s budget, you always have time for a few positive comments or environmental changes that can improve your team's morale.Hedley Lawson, Contributing EditorManaging PartnerAligned Growth Partners, LLC(707) 217-0979hlawson@alignedgrowth.comwww.alignedgrowth.com