Even under the best of circumstances, the pandemic has had an impact on staff moral. However, there are some steps you can take to boost spirits, productivity, and engagement. These include:
- Modeling/encouraging self care. Show your teams that self care is not only acceptable but necessary. Share your own healthy behaviors such as morning walks or weekend hikes. Offer time for midday breaks that are specifically dedicated to fitness, fun, relaxation, and/or meditation. Consider bringing in instructors and/or equipment for these purposes.
- Give subscription services as a ‘thank you.’ Offer personalized subscriptions to appeal to employees’ needs and interests, as well as encourage them to relax and decompress. This might include meditation/relaxation apps or low-cost boxes for food/snacks, books, or spa products. Alternately, you can give workers a stipend and let them choose their own subscription.
- Encourage mental stimulation. Give workers a fun-box of brain-training games, puzzles, or activities, lessons to learn to learn a language or master a musical instrument, etc. Form virtual book or creative writing clubs.
- Offer eLearning opportunities. Right now, there are literally hundreds of online programs, seminars, and workshops your employees can participate in; and many of them are free. Encourage them to choose programs that align with their career goals and interests and give them time to participate.
- Don’t forget to say, ‘Thank you.’ Take time to acknowledge, both publicly and privately, how hard your people are working and the sacrifices they’re making during this challenging time. Ask how they’re doing and really listen to their responses.
