Lessons You Can Learn From an Agency That Suffers From Low Morale
And 7 Potential Solutions
Some folks take inspiration from a movie such as Office Space…that is because a lot of us like to laugh at that which drives us crazy at work! For some we can see our bosses in the Bill Lumbergh’s of the world
For others, they have their own version of TPS Reports that strike oh to close to home. Whatever it is and for whatever reason, many of us can relate to the concept of low morale in the workplace.
So in a comparative manner, perhaps we could learn from an agency that has consistently rated lowest among all governmental agencies — The Department of Homeland Security.
Several reports state that it is an agency filled with distrust and low worker morale. This can be credited to such things as sequestration, furloughs and job freezes. Moreover, the true measure comes from survey questions that highlight what the core cadre of workers in the DHS think of their workplace.
The department finished in the top half of the 30 departments and agencies on only one question asked to all federal workers. More than 56 percent strongly agreed with the statement “The work I do is important.” That placed Homeland Security employees second only to those at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
On the other hand, in answer to the question “How would you rate the overall quality of work done by your work group?” only 22 percent of Homeland Security employees answered “very good.”
Only 20 percent strongly agreed that “My work gives me a sense of personal accomplishment.”
Only 27 percent strongly agreed that “people I work with cooperate to get their job done,” and 13 percent strongly agreed that “my job makes good use of my skills and abilities.”(http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/16/politics/study-ranks-homeland-security-dept-lowest-in-morale.html?_r=0)
So, we as a homeland security conglomerate can’t be the only professional agency to have to face such issues right? The answer is well of course not! There lies a wealth of bench marked success stories and tips not only the DHS could learn from, but just about any agency that attempts to function as a team. The business world and its bottom line driven stance focus heavily on the application of morale addressing solutions. This is because they know (far better than the federal government apparently) that a happy employee is a productive employee. These 7 possible solutions come from an entrepreneur that knows a thing or two about creating productive work places. Marc Erb, senior partner with the Great Place to Work Institute offers the following.
1. Keep employees feeling their work is more than just a job.
Everyone wants to feel that his or her work has a higher purpose. Sometimes, though, that purpose gets lost in the day-to-day grind. One of the key ways that Snagajob.com, an online job-search company, based in Glen Allen, Virginia, inspires its 126 employees is by sharing “I Got a Job!” stories that show them the value of their work. Circulated by email, the real-life stories come from grateful job seekers who recently landed a new job through the company’s website.
2. Take time to creatively celebrate accomplishments.
It’s natural to focus on what’s ahead rather than reflect on how much has been achieved. Taking time to reflect, though, helps employees appreciate how much they have done. All departments at Acuity, a financial-services company based in Sheboygan, Wis., are asked each year to recognize their own work by providing a list of significant accomplishments of their team. The lists are reviewed by Acuity officers, who select the 100 most outstanding achievements for inclusion in a “Top 100 Accomplishments” list. The latest list was designed as a book, Acuity World Records, with the help of Guinness World Records, and given to all 831 employees.
3. Grant time off to employees to pursue projects they are passionate about.
Personal projects can provide an energizing break from regular responsibilities and can serve as a source of innovation for a company. Atlassian, a developer of collaboration software based in Sydney, encourages creativity during its “FedEx Day.” During this event, all 62 employees can work on anything that excites them — as long as it is somewhat related to Atlassian products or processes, can be completed in the allotted time, and is fun. Employees have from 2 p.m. on a Thursday until 4 p.m. Friday, giving them roughly 24 hours to deliver a project (thus the name, FedEx Day). Then at a presentation, participants show off the results of their projects. From these ideas, Atlassian has adopted more than a dozen projects, ranging from product upgrades to process improvements.
4. Mix up the company’s usual way of doing things.
Departing from the customary routine of meetings and cubicle life can go a long way toward building morale. The accounting firm Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner & Hottman, based in Denver, uses the concept of neighborhoods to shake things up. All 387 employees are organized into neighborhoods, based on the floors or sections of floors in each office. These groups have regular get-togethers and shape the contours of meetings. For example, during an all-employee meeting day, as the firm staged a neighborhood basketball tournament, each group came up with team names, homemade jerseys, mascots, and cheerleaders.
5. Don’t forget to have fun.
For the online discounter Fat Wallet, based in Rockton, Ill., fun is a regular part of the schedule. Its 55 employees are invited to play in a monthly Game Day, an in-house competition with activities ranging from Trivial Pursuit to Wii bowling matches. The company also offers quarterly “fun” rewards when staffers achieve certain goals, such as hockey games, casino nights, or play days at amusement parks. Team-building events have included a city scavenger hunt in Chicago and a rooftop Cubs game.
6. Train employees to develop positive attitudes.
During the height of the recession in 2009, employee morale became a big issue for 4Imprint, a maker of customized promotional products, based in Oshkosh, Wis. The company’s training team decided to try to boost morale by setting up classes for the 419 employees to watch and discuss videos with inspiring themes like Lance Armstrong’s comeback from cancer and the friendly culture at Southwest Airlines.
7. Offer time away from the office to do some good.
Another way to build employee morale and camaraderie is through community service. Studer Group, a Gulf Breeze, Fla.-based management consulting firm, gives its 114 employees four paid hours a month to volunteer for a charitable initiative or organization of their choice. Departments also take on volunteer projects as a group. ( http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/)
There has to be a solution to fix the DHS morale woes. Instead of simply surveying the heck out of its employee pool and applying small band aid type fixes, perhaps they should get more aggressive and research in a comparative manner that which makes the business sector thrive…a true attentiveness to the needs of the employee and real morale building steps put in place that yield measurable results.
Written for you by a military officer at Everyday Security.
Making the complex, simple.
