At Works, we’re a team of individuals who take pride in promoting the growth of others. Nothing makes us happier than being around people who radiate positivity, entertain us with their humour, and have a sparkle in their eyes when they get the punchline of a joke.
Maintaining high staff morale is crucial to boost organisational productivity, making it imperative to guarantee employee satisfaction and well-being. At Works, we don’t believe in being harsh taskmasters whose only focus is on achieving outcomes. We understand the significance of happy and content employees, and their benefits are simply too advantageous to ignore. These benefits encompass:
- Smiling can reduce stress and boost energy levels.
- Enhanced resilience to bounce back from challenging situations
- Happy employees are more likely to lend a helping hand to their colleagues.
- Additionally, content employees tend to build stronger connections, which is vital, particularly for distributed teams.
If you’re struggling to meet your targets and objectives, Works is here to help by providing extra resources. Just inform us if you’d like to avail of this offer, and we’ll take care of the arrangements.
It’s relatively easy to identify the well-being of employees when you all work in the same office. You may walk around and notice the ones having a good time, those struggling to cope, and those on the verge of quitting due to stress. You may pause next to a cubicle to eavesdrop on some laughter, walk carefully past another to not disrupt the diligent worker in the zone, or sense an oppressive vibe in the air.
Assessing the emotional state of a remote team can be challenging, particularly when most team members are working in isolation from their homes. It’s essential, therefore, to be mindful of the team’s mood, as it can be challenging to recognise when someone’s feeling down. Without this awareness, how can you lift morale through something as simple as a funny cat photo?
Hence, it is vital for us to have dependable ways to measure the morale of our distributed staff. Here are some suggested methods:
Agile Development-Based Approaches
Communication and regular updates on project progress were critical to the seamless functioning of a distributed team. To enhance an Agile team’s efficiency even further, we suggest implementing a Niko-Niko calendar to track the team’s emotional well-being.
Initially designed for use in a physical workplace, this chart enables employees to express their daily emotional state through a straightforward visual representation of a smiley face, neutral expression, or sad face. This provides an easy way to gauge the overall level of team satisfaction.
Assessing people’s happiness levels alone can be insufficient in gaining real insights into how to improve their lives. A person’s mental state can be influenced by various factors, including personal conflicts, a tough commute, or even working in close proximity to Bob, who has a knack for cracking his knuckles. The person’s surroundings, such as the cup they’re using, could also make a difference.
Indecisiveness among employees can result in several potential outcomes. Usually, a compromise solution between the polar opposites is agreed upon, and it might be beneficial to provide more room for negotiation. Companies often evaluate their performance by using weather-related analogies, asking questions such as ‘Was it stormy?’, ‘Was it rainy?’, ‘Was it cloudy?’, ‘Was it sunny occasionally?’ and ‘Was it a scorcher?’ To make this exercise more fun and interactive for the team, you could create a customised scale.
Acquiring an individual’s personal assessment of their happiness level is inadequate for obtaining a big picture of your team’s performance. To get a more complete understanding of your team’s progress and performance, it’s advisable to send out a daily email containing closed-ended questions. These questions could inquire about the team’s present objectives and accomplished goals, hurdles encountered and problem-solving approaches, as well as any feedback or suggestions for enhancement.
- How did your mood compare to Eeyore’s today?
- What is currently bringing you the most joy in your job?
- Share with me the one challenge at work that you’re currently finding the most arduous.
- What would bring you the greatest satisfaction in your professional life?
This framework presents additional guidance on how to recognise potential sources of discontentment that may not be discussed during regular team meetings. TeamMood is a technology that can automate the niko-niko process, suitable for both remote and office-based staff, offering a secure and anonymous channel for conveying complaints or apprehensions concerning assignments, team relations, or management. This enables employees to voice their opinions without worrying about negative job consequences.
Instead of solely focusing on raising employee contentment, an improved indicator of performance can be achieved by monitoring the level of team morale. It is generally acknowledged that a team’s work quality can significantly impact their morale, making this metric less vulnerable to external factors and personal inclinations. Hence, directing efforts towards enhancing team morale might be more advantageous in ensuring optimal team performance.
So, where can hope be found?
As per Webster’s Dictionary definition, morale denotes a person’s or group’s feelings of self-confidence, drive, and self-control. It is commonly acknowledged that a satisfied and inspired team can accomplish greater feats. Thus, it is crucial to evaluate and track the team’s morale levels.
Motivation can be assessed by surveying individuals on various concepts, such as
- I find enjoyment in being a part of our team.
- It is satisfying to exert the effort that I do.
- It is a unique feeling to consider this group of individuals as my teammates.
- My job entails several challenges.
- Under such circumstances, I have no hesitation in seeking assistance.
You might want to contemplate integrating mood tracking with weekly or semi-regular questionnaires to comprehend the shifts in employees’ morale throughout a project, even if you do not intend to repeat the same set of questions on a daily basis.
In case you are administering surveys, it is imperative to follow up with those who do not respond. It is plausible that they might have forgotten to answer, but it’s also probable that they feel detached and require additional assistance. Therefore, do not forget to contact them if they don’t respond.
TeamMetrics is a cloud-based solution that enables hassle-free aggregation of data from a geographically dispersed team, without any charges. Another option is a platform like SurveyMonkey, which allows you to devise personalised surveys with ease.
Are High Spirits Indicative of a Great Leader?
As a team leader, you will come across several instances where you can evaluate your own performance. You might have been assigned specific key performance indicators (KPIs) that you are responsible for meeting. You can track if you are fulfilling established deadlines, and possibly obtain commendations from clients or senior executives in the company for doing a commendable job.
When your employees are happy in their positions, it seems that your endeavours are paying off. Nevertheless, it’s vital to refrain from getting too comfortable and provide your team members with opportunities for growth and development. Fostering a sense of community among your staff can assist in upholding their triumph, both within and outside the organisation. If you can manage all these aspects, you should be proud of having efficiently supervised a remote team.
Creating Joyful Recruitment Experiences
At Works, we recognise that the success of your team hinges on the quality of individuals you choose to lead it. Although not everyone might be suitable for remote work, we take pride in scouting for the most talented software developers globally and connecting them with firms like yours. If you plan to expand your team, feel free to reach out – we would be thrilled to assist you in your search for the perfect candidate.
