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3 Top Tips for Strengthening Workplace Cohesion and Morale

The backbone of any thriving organization is a team that feels valued, connected, and motivated. For small business owners and nonprofit leaders, maintaining a productive environment and positive morale can feel like a juggling act. With limited resources and high stakes, how can you ensure your employees aren’t just working but thriving together?

This article will uncover proven tips for enhancing workplace cohesion and morale, so you can develop a unified, empowered team.

Foster transparent communication.

To foster trust, managers and employees must be open with each other in every situation. Informing employees about what’s going on at your organization will make them feel trusted, helping them do their jobs more effectively. They’ll understand the company’s aims and problems, so they can develop innovative solutions to get their work done. 

Here are some essential ways to communicate transparently:

Share updates. Regularly share company updates to ensure everyone is on the same page about your organization’s direction. Do so via email, one-on-one conversations, staff meetings, or intranet postings.

Build trust through pay transparency. Create an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing compensation. Explain the rationale behind your pay scale to demystify compensation and help employees understand their growth potential within the organization.

Encourage feedback. Hold check-ins and send surveys to encourage honest employee feedback. In turn, employees will feel heard and comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns.

From discussing pay to routinely sharing updates, open communication keeps everyone aligned within your organization.

Show appreciation for hardworking employees.

Appreciation goes a long way in boosting morale, increasing productivity, and fostering a loyal workforce. eCardWidget’s employee appreciation guide shares how many organizations take informal approaches to recognition, such as verbally thanking employees for a job well done. However, it also argues that building a thriving, cohesive workplace requires intentionality.

Here are a few ways you can value employees:

Alt text: This graphic summarizes the three employee recognition ideas that are written out below.

Send recognition eCards. Digital shoutouts are perfect for any workplace. Using an eCard platform, design eCards that call out positive attributes like a good attitude, teamwork, or innovative thinking. Then, managers can send them to recognize exemplary employees, while employees can thank their colleagues for being great team members.

Create a reward system. Incentivize individuals to do their best by offering employee rewards like extra days off, gift cards, and branded t-shirts for reaching certain milestones, like hitting sales goals or getting a raving client review.

Publicly acknowledge contributions. Recognize employees’ efforts in team meetings, newsletters, or on social media platforms. Be sure the individual is okay with being acknowledged publicly first.

Above all, prioritize personalization. Pay attention to what resonates with individuals, so you can recognize contributions in ways that will feel meaningful.

Invest in employee development.

Take a people-first approach to running your organization by providing skill enhancement and career growth opportunities. 360MatchPro’s employee engagement strategies guide shares these development ideas:

Training opportunities. Provide ongoing training through local industry workshops, online courses, and team-led training sessions. For instance, a marketing agency might lead a monthly workshop discussing current SEO best practices.

Mentorship. Ask seasoned employees to train colleagues on relevant topics, like workplace communication and goal setting. Mentoring can teach employees new skills and cultivate workplace relationships.

Further education. Enable employees to receive further education by offering financial assistance or time off.

Internal mobility. Employees want to feel challenged and that their contributions are impactful, so offer leadership and promotion opportunities that help build skills. 

In some cases, specialized technology can help administer development opportunities, making learning more accessible, efficient, and tailored to individual needs. For instance, you might leverage eLearning platforms or webinars.

However you go about it, supporting professional development can boost retention and organizational growth.

As an organizational leader, it’s your job to nurture your team’s spirit and unity. A cohesive, positive work environment contributes to any organization’s sustainability, so evaluate your current workplace to determine what can be improved. Then, carefully consider how to motivate employees and foster cohesion for a thriving environment.