Morale is crucial to the success of your team. Foodservice is hard work and, not every day is a walk in the park.
As a manager, ask yourself “Do my team members like being at work?” and “Do I like being at work?”
You are an agent of change. As the leader of the department, your actions set the tone for your team. The morale of your team effects all aspects of your community; from your individual team members to the people you serve and even staff turnover.
Improving the morale of your team will take time, but here are some simple steps to get you started:
1) Be positive. Model positivity on your team. Encouraging words and actions will trickle down to your team members. Besides, complaining never made the day go better.
2) Praise your team members. Look for positive behaviors every day and acknowledge the individual for their work. Building up your team members in this way will help them to feel more confident at their job and motivate them to do better. This positive reinforcement will also make correction easier; helping team members to feel you genuinely want to help them succeed.
3) Celebrate with your team members. Have your staff sign cards for each other’s birthdays, celebrate safety achievements with dessert, or bring in a special treat to show you appreciate them. Any occasion can be cause for celebration!
4) Help them out. If a team member is having a difficult day, jump in and help them with a task.
5) Initiate team conversation during breaks. Getting to know one another better will help to build community amongst your team. Check out these ideas to spark conversation.