Workforce Morale - When was the last time you took a good look at your workforce? What did you see?

Optimal Work Environment

Employee Behavior

• Identifies with and supports company objectives
• Seeks ways to improve
• Follows policies & procedures
• Are effectively engaged in decision making
• Performs to capacity
• Speaks positively about the company
• Looks to supervisor for guidance
• Shares intelligence (internal and external) with supervisors
• Has firm understanding of business model and market conditions

Leader Behavior

• Leads confidently through change
• Develops staff effectively
• Recognizes talents and deficiencies
• Encourages and inspires staff to do their best
• Conducts performance evaluations on time
• Communicates consistently, proactively and effectively to superiors, peers and staff
• Creates and supports opportunities for employee involvement in the business
• Creates and supports opportunities to recognize employee contributions
• Predicts and prevents employee conflict
• Resolves disputes in a timely and effective manner
• Pro-active in making the business a better place to work

Organizational Behavior

• Strong positive community reputation
• Desirable turn over rate
• Employment with Company highly desirable – little need to recruit most employees
• Leader in the market
• Solid position with regulatory environment – consistently in full compliance
• Predicts and plans for the future

Satisfactory Work Environment

Employee Behavior

• Follows policies & procedures
• Tries to do a good job
• Sees company as a good place to work as any
• May leave for a better opportunity
• Might recommend company to family and friends
• May make suggestions about improvements in programs, policies and procedures
• Performs satisfactorily
• Asks supervisor for clarifications

Leader Behavior

• Develops staff according to development plans
• Evaluates staff according to performance evaluations
• Communicates necessary information in a timely manner
• Supports existing programs for employee involvement in the business
• Participates in employee recognition programs
• Resolves employee conflict when brought to supervisor’s attention

Organizational Behavior

• Good community reputation
• Acceptable turn over rate
• Competitive in the market
• Can successfully recruit new employees
• Generally good reviews from regulatory environment

Unsatisfactory Work Environment

Employee Behavior

• Takes sick days often
• Tries to avoid work occasionally
• Decreases in productivity
• Looks for negative issues
• Complains about work related injuries
• Will leave for a similar or lesser opportunity
• Sees the company as “Them” not “Us”
• May Fight the System/Company (Spite)
• Can’t be counted on to perform well, remain employed, or follow rules
• Highly vulnerable to outside involvement including
  • Regulatory agencies
  • OSHA
  • EEOC
  • NRLB
  • Consumer or public groups

Leader Behavior

• Supervisors bend rules to suit needs
• Does not coach employees on a regular basis – only at time of performance evaluation
• Completes performance evaluations on time sporadically – often late
• Communicates sporadically with employees  - does not ensure understanding
• Participates in employee recognition programs sporadically at best
• Avoids conflict and employees issues

Organizational Behavior

• Poor community reputation
• Undesirable turn over rate
• Difficult to recruit new employees/leaders
• Lacking in the market

Poor/Damaging Work Environment

Employee Behavior

• Takes all possible sick and other accrued days
• Avoids work regularly; Is often tardy and returns late from lunch and breaks
• Angry enough to leave for a lower paying or less influential job
• Will stay and fight the system (Organizes)  
• Slows down team productivity
• Is negative and cynical;  Is a negative force, generates unrest
• Increases in work related injuries
• May engage in workplace sabotage
• Breaks rules to get even with management (Spite)
• Looks for ways to initiate litigation or regulatory complaints
• Recites examples of associate mistreatment
• 3rd parties on the scene such as
  • Regulatory agencies
  • OSHA
  • EEOC
  • NRLB
  • Consumer or public groups

Leader Behavior

• Supervisors disregards the rules
• Sees company as “them” and may actively work against management objectives
• Does not participant in performance management of employees
• Communicates negative, inaccurate or defaming information
• Causes conflict and employees issues
• Is concerned primarily with own interests and not that of company or employee

Organizational Behavior

• Negative community reputation
• Unmanageable turn over rate – significant impact on the operation and budget
• Trailing in the market
• Experiencing significant budget issues