Shawnee Love   •  
May 13, 2014

Morale is important because there is a direct correlation between happy people and happy customers, i.e., the lifeblood of any business.  Poor morale is often a symptom of organizations in distress and a major reason we get calls.

Interestingly, a simple walk through of an organization can tell me a lot about the morale.

• Are people smiling and welcoming?
• Do they look up when a stranger comes through or keep their heads low and faces turned away?
• Is there the buzz of voices?
• Even in environments which you would expect to be quiet, is the silence calm and focused or tense and uncomfortable?
• Do people interact from time to time?

As I walk through, I ask myself, “is what I am observing, what I would expect for this organization“?

I once walked into a store where there was pure silence.  During the time I was there, no one spoke, barely anyone looked up, not a sound occurred despite the fact that there were 2 associates in the store.  No one said hello, no one rustled an article of clothing, no one moved. I felt like I had broken up a drug deal when I walked in, and I breathed a deep breath when I left the store and its oppressive silence.

In those few minutes, I learned a lot about the morale in that store.  A sunny Saturday afternoon and you would expect it to be busy, but I bet sales were almost non-existent during that shift.  I wonder if the store manager ever connected the dots.

Unfortunately, we often forget to tune into what our senses can tell us about our own teams.  Just like a fish doesn’t know it swims in water, we often don’t realize we are working in a depressed or even sick environment.

I challenge all managers to pay attention to what is happening in your team this week.  Reflect on how you would feel about it if you were a visitor rather than the boss.  Then, come back next week for a discussion about morale building.