Six Keys to Boost Staff Morale
Your church staff has a culture whether you know it or not. You can have a positive culture where there’s a corporate sense of “us” that lends itself to mutual celebration or you can have a negative culture where there is a siloed sense of “me” that lends itself to selfish pride.
If the culture is healthy, amazing things happen. People love being there. Great leaders come and stay.
If the culture is unhealthy, destructive things happen. People endure being there. Great leaders look for ways to leave.
Culture is invisible but determinative. You can’t see it, but it defines so much. An unhealthy culture will consistently undermine an amazing mission, vision, and strategy.
An unhealthy culture will consistently undermine an amazing mission, vision, and strategy.
As Peter Drucker is quoted as saying, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
In my four decades of pastoral leadership, I’ve led a staff as small as one (me!) and as large as 25 men and women. While I did a few things right, I did a lot of things wrong. Here are some keys for building staff morale that I learned.
1. CONFRONT PRIVATELY, PRAISE PUBLICLY
Publicly embarrassing staff members is extremely harmful to culture. Whenever possible, choose to confront privately. There may be moments when a confrontation needs to happen in front of other staff in response to a staff-wide issue; however, these moments are likely rare.
Public criticism is one of the quickest ways to lose an employee’s loyalty. Church staff members who feel publicly shamed will shut down. Everyone needs constructive criticism to improve his or her work, but that is best done in private. A public venue does not serve either of these purposes.
On the other hand, when you praise a team member, be intentional about praising in public. While they may say, “I was just doing my job,” secretly, everyone wants to be noticed doing it.
Everyone wants to be a hero. When you make one of them, they will make one of you.
Everyone wants to be a hero. When you make one of them, they will make one of you.
By the way, not only does this help encourage the team member but it also helps affirm and communicate expectations to the rest of the team.
2. WRITE POSITIVE THINGS, SAY DIFFICULT THINGS
If you need to communicate difficult feedback or news, say it face-to-face. For two reasons: first, meaning is interpretive in written form. Tones and intentions can easily be misread in an email. Second, it’s important to address a negative situation and move on. It’s unhealthy for staff to re-read and ruminate on difficult messages that are communicated in writing.
However, if you want to encourage a staff member, written encouragement has a far longer-lasting impact than verbal encouragement. Go “old school” and write thank you notes to staff members. A positive written word has amazing effects on relationships and culture – and they’ll likely be referenced for years to come.
3. ENCOURAGE MORE THAN CORRECT
There is an old joke about a couple who has been married for a long time. The wife suddenly breaks down in tears and says to her husband of several decades, “I don’t even know if you love me.”
He responds with a shocked look on his face and said, “I told you I loved you the day I married you and if it changes, I will let you know.”
It is a joke a bit too close to reality for some staff members who long to please their immediate supervisor but rarely hear encouragement. They only seem to hear from them when they do something wrong. This is demoralizing to staff members.
Before a difficult conversation with a staff member, ask yourself how often you have encouraged them. If you have nothing encouraging to say to them, they probably should not be on your staff. But if they are a good staff member and hear from you only when they have done something wrong, you need to reevaluate your approach as a leader.
4. OWN UP TO YOUR MISTAKES.
If you hope to create an environment of grace, then not only do you need to offer it, you need to admit your need of it. It is very difficult for staff members to face up to their failures if you never admit your own.
At times such confession may be a one-on-one discussion. “I want you to know that I was wrong in how I ______. You were a victim of my mistake. Would you please forgive me?”
On other occasions, the confession needs to be staff-wide. “I made a statement last week regarding ______. It was not only incorrect…it was hurtful. I am so very sorry. Would you please forgive me?”
You might think that such actions will reduce your authority and lower their respect. On the contrary, it will enlarge your authority and heighten their respect. And it will endear you to them.
Owning up to your mistakes will enlarge your authority, heighten others’ respect, and endear you to them.
5. NO GOSSIP ALLOWED
Interpersonal breakdowns will be inevitable. Make Matthew 18:15 non-negotiable. Let it be clear from the very beginning that relational integrity is one of your highest values.
Lead the way in not only refraining from gossip but in terminating it. And when this value is violated, address it immediately and strongly.
Let there be no room for misunderstanding on this one. Once that is clearly established, breakdowns can be platforms for heal-ups.
6. MAKE ROOM FOR FUN.
One of the most common grievances from staff members in a poor office culture is that it’s not a fun place to work. The old adage is still true: All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.
Look for ways to spice up your culture with fun and laughter. Celebrate birthdays. Play some crazy games. Blow off an afternoon and go do something together (Escape Room, Ball Game, Laser Tag, etc.)
If you’re not good at planning such things (I wasn’t!), appoint a “Fun Committee.” And then give them the freedom to plan some play.
I’m sure there are more keys to morale than these six. One way to see what they are would be to actually ask your staff for help in identifying them. They might well have some great ideas.
What do you do to boost staff morale? Share in the Comments below.
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