Team Morale
- No. of centimetres of snow the weather men promised for Bournemouth: 21
- No. of centimetres of snow that actually arrived: 2
The Big Freeze is upon us. It fascinates me how different people react to situations like this. Some, like my brother in Kent, seized the opportunity to build a pink igloo (as you do) and convert various pieces of furniture into sledges. Others chose to add this turn of events to their list of post Christmas grumbles.
I am not talking about those people with good cause to feel aggrieved. My deepest sympathy goes out to the families of those who have lost loved ones to this weather. I’m talking about the rest of us, for whom the snow is just a temporary inconvenience. Most commonly heard moans this week: “Not enough grit”. “Not enough help from the emergency services”. “Nowhere to put your cup, now the coffee table is a sledge”…
A number of companies have reported high levels of absenteeism in the last couple of weeks. I witnessed this first hand last week in a local hotel, where 6 of the 7 bar staff had not shown up for work. Apparently they could not get there. The one girl who had turned up said she didn’t believe this. “No team loyalty”, she muttered as she struggled to serve 5 people at once.
I am working next door to this hotel at the moment. Only 2 of the 120 staff didn’t make it in that day; each with legitimate cause. When we’d arrived, we’d found that the heating had failed and it was freezing. The staff kept their coats on, the company dished out free hot chocolate and soup, someone dashed out to buy some electric heaters and everyone got on with their job. The team I am working with were proud that they’d all got in to work. Nobody had wanted to let the side down.
Positive staff attitude and good team morale are hugely beneficial to any business. Such a culture breeds loyalty, ownership and a sense of shared responsibility. It reduces absenteeism, increases staff retention and ultimately improves the bottom line. If you’d like to know how to get there, contact us for a chat or take a look at our Leadership Programmes.
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