Office | Shannon Procise

Increasing the morale of your business is an important goal to set because it can have a host of other positive benefits for the company. Being a great leader in the office has a lot to do with encouraging input from your employees on how they feel and how the office works. Many times this means providing incentives and other sorts of fun activities for employees to feel motivated by. And while you want to do best to keep their morale up, you also have to keep the budget in mind. Fortunately, you don’t need to destroy your business’s budget to create a more friendly vibe in the workplace.

Offer Refreshments

While you don’t want employees lounging on the couch and eating snacks all day, you can provide them with some complimentary refreshments. You could purchase bagels from the store and have them ready to toast in the office kitchen with spread prepared to go, or you might bring in tacos from an affordable restaurant for lunch every other week. Another option is to stock the break room with beverages and snacks. If you want to let them pick, you could always purchase used vending machines for discounted prices, or you could look into coffee that’s for sale in bulk quantities.

Host Events

You want to encourage employees to work together professionally, but encouraging them to socialize can have tremendous benefits. Employees who feel more comfortable with each other often make better team members. You could host events in the office space to reduce the cost. Also, some local activities, such as paint nights or escape rooms, may offer discounts for large groups. If you want to include food at the event, host a potluck. Asking everyone to bring in a dish also allows your employees to show off their culinary style.

Procure Updated Equipment

Imagine that it took your computer the better part of an hour to load in the morning or that the copier broke every time you needed to make handouts for presentations. Looking into companies that offer corporate discounts can help you to save on the price. Also, you may want to look into having older equipment repaired. While the end goal is likely to replace the machines, doing so might not be possible at this moment.

Let Them Work from Home

Instead of having to pay for office snacks and even utilities, why not let your employees work from home? Introducing a virtual office policy can boost your team’s morale as well as offer other benefits. Employees who have the opportunity to telecommute report substantially higher job satisfaction and quit at half of the usual rate. Plus, many studies have shown that people who work from home tend to be more productive than those who spend their 9 to 5 in an office. According to DavinciVirtual.com, there are three types of telework: full-time, part-time, and situational. Depending on how many days your employees work from home, you could save more than $1000 per employee per year.

Provide Positive Feedback

It’s true that offering criticism of your employees is sometimes necessary as you need to let your employees know where room for improvement exists. However, when you constantly criticize your employees or do so negatively, they are likely to start thinking that they aren’t doing any of the tasks correctly. According to LiveChatInc.com, letting employees know when they succeed is an essential part of acting as a good boss. But if you do have to give some critique, do it well. This strategy will cost you no money whatsoever to implement.

As you begin to think of ways to increase morale, you may see a significant price sticker attached to the plans. Fortunately, you can motivate your employees and make them feel happier at work without spending too much.

We all have our days where everything runs smoothly, and we achieve an outstanding amount of work. We also have our days where it seems that nothing is going our way. Despite our desire to perform flawlessly every day, there will always be days where we are not performing as well as we should be. If you’re dealing with one of these days, here are some productivity hacks to improve your professional performance.

Clear Your Plate

Believe it or not, the problem you are having is most likely due to an excess of tasks. When we have too many things to do, we become overwhelmed and stressed, which makes us want to procrastinate and avoid our work rather than tackle it. For example, you can outsource some of your marketing tasks to specialists. Simplify your to-do list and only focus on the things that you must get done today. With less on your plate, you can focus and utilize your energy effectively.

Take Breaks

We live in a busy society that glorifies people who can work all day without resting. Unfortunately, this is not how our bodies and minds function. Instead of forcing yourself to work for hours on end, give yourself a break when you finish a major task. This will give your mind time to rest and energize before taking on the next big project.

Batch Tasks Together

It can be distracting to go back and forth between similar items. For example, let’s imagine that you have to write a few emails, tackle a project that is coming due, and then write another email later on. Breaking your focus by separating tasks like this is sure to ruin your productivity. Batch similar tasks together and accomplish them all at once to get them out of the way. Using this method, you will get all of your emails out of the way and you will have an easier time devoting your focus to your project later.

Boost Your Energy

Sometimes, our slow performance is because of our energy levels. If this is the case, consider taking more caffeine throughout the day or even nootropics. According to MindLab, nootropics encompass “a huge variety of different compounds, including simple things like vitamins and minerals, as well as herbal extracts and even some synthetic substances. Most specifically, they’re supplements which improve things like brain power, focus, memory, and reaction time.”
The most important thing to remember is that bad days will pass, and that’s good news. As a hard-working professional, you need to bring your “A” game every day. For more tips about improving performance, schedule your coaching session with Shannon today!

How To Increase Office Morale Without Breaking The Bank