Post by Amy Blais, contributing Women On Business writer
During this time of year, it is important to take all the energy from the holidays and turn weakened morale from the struggling economy into positive business. One way of upping the business morale can be found in encouraging staff development. As a business owner, you can find value in your staff when you involve them in the inner workings of the company.
Listen to everyone’s ideas, some of the best ideas can come from the freshest eyes, and then put together group goals for the year. A good place to orchestrate this would be a staff lunch, meeting or gathering which may encourage employee bonding. Community service projects are also a great way to rally the staff together. One idea is to collect money to buy a gift for a local charity or work at a food bank together as a company and team.
With the economy in the shape that it is, and the holidays quickly approaching, poor employee morale may be evident, but by making an effort to turn this into bonding energy, employees will be dedicated and driven to the CEO and to each other. Employees are a vital part of your business, and in stressful times, you don’t want them to feel as if they are competing to keep their jobs. Collaborative, supportive and strategic staff involvement can further your business and make your employees feel like a cohesive team.
WPEO certified woman business enterprise (WBE) Hallie Satz, CEO of HighRoad Press, recently found a way to incorporate her employees to her business strategy. At a meeting with her employees, Hallie began discussing the current economic situation, there was obvious tension and unease among her employees as many had heard about layoffs occurring in the printing industry. Hallie began thinking of ideas that could bring her staff together and make them feel an integral part of their business team. Hallie presented the initiative of volunteering within the community and although not mandatory, many of Hallie’s employees became excited about the effort and began contributing their time and efforts. This helped bring the employees together while building team morale.
I urge you to be aware of your employees this holiday season and understand that communication is key. You and your employees are playing for the same team; make sure they know the game plan.
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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