If employee morale on your team is low, and you've been struggling with ways to improve it, here is a three-step plan (and it’s very important to do the steps in the prescribed order).
1) Identify your top three customers (I'm talking about the most valuable and lucrative ones). Before you read step two, write down the names you’ve identified in step one.
2) Write down three things you do to make them feel special, valued and appreciated. Again, don’t read step three until you do step two.
3) Do those SAME things for your team members (start with your hardest working and most engaged staff first… they need it the most. Trust me on that.)
If you feel that it will be "too much trouble" to do step three, then THAT may be the real source of the low morale. Ultimately, people feel appreciated when we think of them as worthy of BEING appreciated. If I don’t value you, then you won’t feel valued by me. Period. This goes beyond me “saying” that I value you. Or getting banner stands and silicone wrist bands stating that “Our employees are #1.”
Takeaway: Consistently treat your team EXACTLY how you want them to treat your best customers. Then the culture that you’ve dreamed of will naturally follow.
