High Morale During Hard Times
Written By: JoAnne Tobias
When we went back to the construction site, everything changed. COVID-related safety restrictions meant no more standing shoulder to shoulder over blueprints, no more community donuts, or spontaneously bringing pizza to the crew on Fridays. The Family Picnic seems like a distant memory. Of course, we’re happy that as essential workers we’re allowed to work and of course, we want to do whatever we can to keep the workers and our communities safe. But for an organization that enjoys camaraderie as much as we do, we’ve had to put extra effort in to keep our spirits up these past few months.
These days, morale matters more than ever. When morale is high, people enjoy work more, and their quality is that much higher. On the construction site, we keep it positive, while keeping it safe. Here’s what we do to keep morale high during hard times:
Keep it positive, but also keep it real. Positive energy attracts positive people. Being positive doesn’t mean always being happy. Unrelenting positivity can feel toxic. When you’re feeling down, the last thing you want to be told is to smile. The positivity we cultivate at Source is one that empathizes with reality while knowing that this is not forever.
“It’s more important than ever to help our teams feel connected ...”
“We see that after all these months of social distancing, people are feeling disconnected. It’s more important than ever to help our teams feel connected and to be able to look on the bright side as well” says Miguel Garcia, Source Superintendent.
Emotional bonds at work matter. Emotional bonds make work meaningful. Whether with subs, partners, or clients, Source values connection. This can look like smaller meetings, more frequent check-ins, calling out team wins, and sharing jokes online. “During calls or Friday debriefings after doing the rounds, we talk about what went well that week and why. We also share a quick personal story, and almost always find a way to end things with a laugh” says Miguel.
Foster empathy and compassion. Put yourself in another’s shoes emotionally. We know that wearing masks is uncomfortable and, well, strange. We empathize with their discomfort, but we also ask them to empathize with their co-workers. Instead of just coming down hard with regulation so-and-so, we tell our guys, “look to your left, look to your right. Maybe their daughter is immunocompromised; maybe their grandparents moved in. You’re wearing your masks for them.”
Look for the good. What gets measured, gets bigger. When you try to enhance positive emotions, you’ll find more of them. We still call out employees who do great work and when someone shares a great idea or new best practice, we take a moment to publicly thank them and add their contribution to our common bank of knowledge.
Before you call a meeting, notice your own mood. Science shows that moods are contagious; we want the good ones to spread. Making a commitment to self-awareness can help make sure you’re aware of your mood so you can calibrate as necessary.
Cultivate laughter. The soundtrack to our group lunches was steady conversation punctuated by full-throated laughter. This sense of humor creates a bond among us and gives you a wider perspective that you can take back out into the field. Even though you’re not able to laugh without a mask on or gather as freely, you still need to keep your sense of humor. Lead with a cool head and a warm heart. “Just sharing a crazy meme on the Slack channel, or ribbing each other from 6 feet away, laughing together feels good. Even if you’re behind masks or behind a screen, you can feel laughter” says McKenna Schott, Source Marketing Manager.
Because Source tends to fill its ranks with positive people, most of this comes intuitively. But we’ve also made a commitment to cultivating positivity in the workplace, especially during stressful times. These days, tending to morale should be high on everyone’s list of priorities.