It’s no understatement to say times are tough in Zimbabwe. If it’s not one thing it’s surely another, that’s how it feels anyway. Facing near world-beating inflation while salaries have largely remained stagnant the employee in Zimbabwe is certainly seeing the worst of it. Given that the businesses which employ people can easily raise their prices it’s understandable that employee morale is low across the country. Here are a few tips you can use to employee morale in your organization whether large or small.
Pay them
When I started writing this article this wasn’t even on the list but as I wrote more and more it became evident that it would be unfair to exclude this pertinent point and not make it the first point. We get it, you can’t pay them a lot because of the monetary policy. However, it’s important to pay that which you have agreed on in a timely fashion. Holding back on such creates resentment for you and the workplace.
Keep Things Positive
First things first your employees have faced enough negativity by the time they get to work. So don’t add to this, please. Provide a positive environment. One practical way to do this is to actually have an energising morning ritual that can break the pattern.
Encourage Work-Life Balance
People do have lives outside the workplace and one thing you can do is take an interest or in the very least encourage them to also seek fulfilment outside their work lives.
Be Open And Honest
You have to tread carefully with this one but I find that when you’re facing challenges, and aren’t we all, communicating openly and honestly about the challenges faced ahead of time can help people understand.
Train Your Team To Help Them Grow
Unbeknownst to many employers one of the reasons people don’t enjoy their jobs is because they are not good at them. I mean of course they can do their jobs but they struggle because of lack of skill. One of the best things you can do is invest in your employees by training them. Job satisfaction surprisingly increases with competency levels.
Celebrate Successes
As I said we are in hard times and wins are a rare occurrence. So when they do happen be sure to celebrate them and as a team. If you have a team you want to be careful to do this in an inclusive manner that assures that at some point everyone in the team can get some sort of recognition or the entire team is credited with wins. Celebration is an important part of building a successful character.
Keep Things Fresh
This you may not find too hard in Zimbabwe as just when we were getting the hang of saying RTGS dollars after calling them bond notes we now have to switch to Zimbabwean dollars. Seriously though, boredom sets in when stagnation is experienced. Even well-remunerated people in great economies feel the drain of monotony. Find ways to break into new frontiers with your team by exploring new ideas together and taking their input on board.
Offer Opportunity
Zimbabweans are an ambitious lot and are always looking to grow. You can always offer your employees opportunities to grow. This depends a lot on the nature of your business and the role of your employee. One sure way to know how to help them in this regard is to ask. Positioning yourself as a part of their growth process rather than just an employer will definitely boost their morale vis-à-vis how they feel about you.
Provide Quality Perks & Benefits
This one is well in use in Zimbabwe as the economy dictates salary increments may be difficult to effect. You’d be surprised at how small some of the problems that dog your employees actually are. You could step in and provide a means for them to deal with these issues. Perhaps you can use your position to provide access to a scarce resource they need.
Set Goals
Going to work for the sake of going to work just isn’t going to cut it in this economy. I’m underpaid and overworked and I can’t even explain why. You don’t want your employees thinking like this. Setting goals and targets helps bring focus to employees. Working towards targets gives drive and extra motivation. Please do not reward employees with the clapping of hands when targets are reached. A goal without rewards is not a motivator.
There’s a lot that’s going on around us and a lot of it we have no control over. That which is within our control let us at least do right.