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September 23, 2021November 16, 2023

The Ultimate Guide to Project Management in 2022

At times, project management can seem overwhelming. After all, how do you get started? Which methodology should you use? And most importantly, what can you do to make sure your projects go off without a hitch?

There are just so many complex questions you need to answer. Fortunately, although this topic may seem intimidating, it’s actually far less so once you understand the basics of project management.

That’s what you’ll learn in this convenient project management guide. In it, we’ll explain the 5 phases of project management, the keys to running a successful project, the different project management methodologies, and much, much more.

What Is Project Management?

Before delving deeper into the topic of project management, let’s first define what it is. According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), “project management is the use of specific knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to deliver something of value to people.”

That “something of value” can include things like a new software that’s being developed to improve business operations, the construction of a condominium, or even the nationwide rollout of a new vaccine.

How Did Project Management Start?

The earliest known project was the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza in 2570 BC. While historians are still in disagreement about how such a massive enterprise was completed, we do know that there were four managers–each of whom was responsible for overseeing the completion of a different face of the wall.

And of course, since then, there have been a number of similar major undertakings, like the Great Wall of China, the Coliseum, and the Parthenon.

However, project management as we know it today didn’t really begin until 1917, when Henry Gantt developed the Gantt chart.

The Gantt chart provided a way to visually depict all of a project’s tasks–as well as when they needed to occur, so the project could be completed successfully. Considered groundbreaking for its era, Gantt charts were first used for large construction projects, like the Hoover Dam.

Yet despite the advent of the Gantt chart, project management didn’t really begin to grow in popularity until the 1950s, when more organizations started to apply systematic techniques to complex undertakings.

During this era, we saw the creation of the Critical Path Method (CPM) and Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT)–two project scheduling models that are still in use today.

By 1969, project management had become an increasingly important discipline. Subsequently, Jim Snyder, of Smith, Kline & French Laboratories, and Gordon Davis, of the Georgia Institute of Technology, decided over dinner that year that there needed to be an organization for project managers (PMs), so they had a forum to share information about their industry.

With that dinner, the Project Management Institute was born. Today, the organization assists 2.9 million professionals and has 500,000 members in over 200 locations around the world.

Why Is Project Management So Important?

Project management is incredibly important, because it helps keep organizations on track, so they can realize their goals on-time and within budget.

But, project management does so much more than that! For instance, most businesses employ project management techniques, because they also offer the following benefits:

Clear Focus & Objectives

When a project is well-managed, everyone knows what the end goal is, which tasks are required to move the team closer to that objective, and who needs to complete those tasks.

In the absence of project management, those variables tend to be left to chance–often resulting in vague objectives, ill-defined priorities, and team members that don’t really know what they’re supposed to be doing.

So, one big benefit of project management is that objectives are clearly defined, which results in better outcomes.

Realistic Expectations

Project management breaks down the tasks required to complete a specific goal–and any interdependencies that might delay the team’s ability to meet that objective.

Because there’s an in-depth understanding of what needs to be done to complete the project successfully, corporate stakeholders are less likely to make urgent demands that the project be completed “yesterday.”

As a result, the project team has a realistic, achievable schedule–rather than one that would be impossible to meet.

Time & Money Savings

There are a number of ways project management can save businesses time and money. For starters, project management processes help maximize the project team’s productivity throughout the duration of the entire project. As a result, project delays and obstructions are diminished–so the project is more likely to be completed on time.

Furthermore, project management identifies and eliminates redundant assets–in terms of both personnel and materials. The importance of that cannot be overstated because redundancy can increase resource costs, add to the length of the project, and reduce overall productivity. By contrast, in the absence of redundancy, businesses have the potential to save lots of money.

Finally, project management keeps subcontractors to a timeline–making it far more likely that they’ll complete their tasks by the agreed-upon deadline, while also reducing liability concerns.

For these reasons, research indicates that companies with a formal project management approach complete 63% of their projects within budget and 59% of their projects on time.

By contrast, businesses that rarely or never use formal project management methods only complete 48% of their projects within budget and 43% of their projects on-time.

Additionally, companies that develop project management practices save a whopping 28 times more money than those that don’t–which is why project management simply makes good financial sense.

Better Outcomes

Incredibly enough, 70% of projects fail–meaning that they don’t deliver what was promised to customers. However, that failure rate drops to 20% or less when project management processes are followed.

Perhaps this can be attributed to the fact that not only does project management employ a clearly defined process, but it also means there’s a project manager to keep everything on track, so project goals are met–while everyday project pitfalls like scope creep, overspending, and missed deadlines are more easily avoided.

What Are the 5 Critical Roles in Project Management?

According to the Harvard Business Review, there are 5 primary roles associated with project management:

1. Project Manager

The project manager or PM is in charge of overseeing the entire project, ensuring that the project’s objectives are met on-time and within budget.

To accomplish this, the project manager performs the following tasks:

Identifies which activities are necessary to meet the project’s objectives
Plans and schedules tasks
Oversees day-to-day execution of those tasks
& Monitors the project’s progress

Once the project is complete, the project manager also captures lessons learned for the benefit of future projects.

2. Team Member

Project team members are full- or part-time individuals who work on one or more phases of the project. Team members can include internal resources, such as employees, or they can consist of external partners–for instance, like an overseas IT team that’s helping with the development of a new software project.

Typically, team members assist by performing one or more of the following duties:

Providing time/expertise to achieve the project’s objectives
Completing deliverables
Consulting with users to ensure the project meets their business needs
& Documenting the process

3. Team Leader

Smaller projects are unlikely to have a team leader, but on large projects, team leaders are essential. These individuals report directly to the project manager and typically fulfill a number of roles, including:

Initiating – Team leaders get everyone on the same page, making sure that all team members understand the actions that need to occur for the team’s goals to be met.
Modeling – Team leaders set an example for other employees, modeling their own behavior to shape the performance of other team members.
Negotiating – At times, team leaders may negotiate with resource providers to ensure that project deliverables are completed successfully.
Coaching – It’s not uncommon for team members to lack some of the necessary skills to complete their tasks. Team leaders help their team members develop those skills, so they can fulfill the project’s objectives.
Listening – Team leaders keep an ear to the ground, so to speak–listening for signs of impending trouble and employee discontent, as well as new, beneficial opportunities.
Working – Team leaders aren’t just responsible for providing direction, they also have to do some of the work themselves, particularly in areas where they have a unique competence.

4. Project Sponsor

The project sponsor plays a key role, championing the project at the highest level of the company and helping eliminate any organizational obstructions. Additionally, the project sponsor communicates with key stakeholders, provides resources, and approves or rejects outcomes.

5. Project Steering Committee

The project steering committee consists of the project sponsor and all key stakeholders. The committee is responsible for approving the project charter, securing resources, and deciding whether to approve requests to change various elements of the project–such as its deliverables, schedule, or budget.

What are the 5 Phases of Project Management?

According to Villanova University, there are 5 phases of project management:

1. Project Initiation

During the first phase of the project life cycle, the project manager needs to determine (a) how feasible the project is and (b) how much value it’ll deliver. To accomplish these objectives, PMs usually rely on the following tools:

Business Case Document – This document explains why the project is needed and what financial benefit the company will experience, should the project be implemented.
Feasibility Study – Not every project is doable or financially sound. A feasibility study evaluates the project’s goals, costs, resource requirements, and timeline to determine whether it makes sense financially for the project to proceed.

2. Project Planning

Once the project’s been given the go-ahead, it’s time to create the project plan that’ll guide the team. This key document details all the important elements of the project, such as which tasks need to be completed, how resources will be obtained, what obstacles may be encountered, and how risks will be handled–while also laying out the project’s projected cost, scope, and timeframe.

3. Project Execution

After the project plan’s been completed and approved, it’s time to begin executing the tasks that are required to meet the project’s objectives. During this phase, team members work toward completing the project deliverables that were detailed in the project plan.

4. Project Monitoring & Control

This phase is often ongoing during execution to ensure that project deadlines are being met successfully, and scope creep is prevented. To accomplish these objectives, teams track key performance indicators as a way of making sure everything’s unfolding according to schedule and within budget.

5. Project Closure

Once the project’s deemed complete, the team evaluates and documents the experience. By capturing lessons learned, teams have the opportunity to glean valuable information from the challenges they experienced during the course of the project, before moving on to the next project in their pipeline.

What are the Keys to a Successful Project?

To determine which factors are most important to the success of a project, the Standish Group surveyed hundreds of IT executive managers and conducted multiple focus groups.

Based on their research, Standish concluded that projects are most likely to succeed when the following criteria is present:

User Involvement
Executive Management Support
Clear Statement of Requirements
Proper Planning
Realistic Expectations
Smaller Project Milestones
Competent Staff
Ownership
Clear Vision & Objectives
Hard-Working, Focused Staff

When Is a Project Considered a Failure?

According to ProjectManagement.com, a project is considered a failure when it doesn’t deliver the agreed-upon result, on-time and within budget. However, it’s far more common for project failure to be determined by stakeholders–and their overall satisfaction with how the project went.

For instance, a project could be completed a week late and 10% above projected cost but stakeholders might consider it a success–especially, if the last project was months overdue and 300% over budget … which is why when it comes to evaluating the success or failure of a project, some subjectivity is involved.

Why Do Projects Fail?

There are many reasons projects fail. Sometimes there can be one triggering event, at other times, there can be multiple causes for a failed project.

Here are some of the most common reasons that projects fail:

1. Unclear Objectives

When a project doesn’t have clearly defined goals, there are too many unanswerable questions floating around, like … What actually needs to be accomplished? Who will be responsible for it? And, perhaps most importantly, how will we judge whether the project can be deemed a success or failure?

Interestingly enough, the PMI reports that a lack of clearly defined objectives and milestones to measure progress is the most common reason projects fail (37%).

2. Scope Creep

It begins innocently enough … a project stakeholder asks for just a “small change” to the project. Although the project manager accommodates the request, they don’t modify the project plan to reflect the additional time, costs, and resources honoring that request will require.

And mind you, that’s just one “small” change. Sometimes, scope creep becomes increasingly more egregious as a project continues, as stakeholders may feel that having accommodated one request, perhaps the project team can honor another … and another.

Although scope creep may strike you as the type of thing that occurs relatively rarely, it’s actually far more common than you might think. For instance, according to statistics from the PMI, more than half of projects (52%) experience scope creep.

3. Inadequate Planning

When planning is surface-level, rather than in-depth, projects have a much greater risk of going off the rails. After all, as Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

To prevent complications once the project gets underway, a strong project plan will clearly map out important elements of the project, such as its goals, scope, milestones, deliverables, budget, work breakdown structure, and risk management plan.

By thinking through these items in advance–and detailing how each one will be handled–the project is far less likely to encounter unforeseen problems, like a lack of stakeholder support, wildly inaccurate budget/timeline estimates, and poor scope control.

4. Lack of Communication

Successful teams collaborate, sharing information that’s useful to achieving the project’s goals. However, in the absence of clear communication, problems ensue–which is why according to the Project Management Institute, over 30% of projects fail due to poor communication.

After all, when a project suffers from communication problems, there’s a much greater likelihood that people won’t understand what their responsibilities are–which ultimately increases the team’s stress and anxiety, while slowing down productivity and creating turmoil.

5. No Risk Management

Risk management is the practice of identifying, evaluating, and preventing project risks that can derail a project. That’s important, because there are lots of potential project risks.

For instance, a project can experience extensive delays, cost overruns, or even poor user adoption–such as when Coca-Cola spent $4 million developing New Coke, and its sales were so abysmal that the “new and improved” soda was pulled from the market.

In the absence of risk management, the project team may not be able to mitigate or prevent risks–and unfortunately, when the risks are significant enough, the project can fail.

6. Lack of Project Manager Experience

Project managers have a great deal of responsibility. However, not everyone assigned to the PM role has the requisite education or experience to handle the job successfully.

Worse, there are plenty of mistakes that inexperienced project managers can make, from developing overzealous timelines to not fully understanding the project requirements.

As a result, Project Management Works reports that 20% of project failure is due to inexperienced project managers.

7. No Project Management Culture

To run a successful project, executive leadership needs to understand what it takes to manage a project, in terms of tools and training–then make sure the project team has what it needs to get the job done on-time and within budget.

However, as important as leadership buy-in is, it doesn’t occur in every organization. For instance, at some companies, the leadership team doesn’t support project management methodologies, tries to cut corners, or is just generally inexperienced.

That’s why according to one PMI study, project management delivers the most value when it’s supported by top leadership and reinforced by continuous training–in the absence of that, projects are much more likely to fail.

8. Unreliable Estimates

All too often, project estimates are way off base–which is why the PMI reports that one reason large projects often go wrong is because “cost estimators underestimate costs, planners underestimate time, [and] technologists underestimate technical complexity.”

Why does this occur? According to Research Scientist Harry W. Jones, there are 3 primary reasons for inaccurate estimates: bad luck, over-optimism, and deliberate underestimation. While bad luck and over-optimism require no explanation, you may be wondering why teams would deliberately underestimate.

Ronald Bisaccia, a managing director at Alvarez & Marsal Business Consulting, hypothesizes that project proponents are primarily responsible for this tendency. Because proponents are typically the most knowledgeable about a project when it’s still in its early stages, most companies will seek out their opinions.

However, because these individuals want the project to be completed, they’re more likely to minimize its risks, while producing unrealistic, favorable estimates.

For these reasons, statistics show us that 55% of project managers cite budget overrun as a reason for project failure, and an incredible 85% of projects are over budget to some degree. Furthermore, according to the PMI, inaccurate time estimates are the primary reason 25% of projects fail.

9. Insufficient Resources

Inadequate resource planning is responsible for project failure 23% of the time, and unfortunately, there are plenty of reasons projects may experience insufficient resources.

For instance, this issue can occur due to inaccurate estimates, organizational budget cuts, lack of commitment from managers who need to make their staff available, and team members who don’t possess the necessary skills to do the work.

As you might imagine, any or all of these problems can lead to project failure, since they all have the potential to negatively impact project execution and delivery.

10. Failure to Monitor Progress

As we mentioned earlier, a project is deemed successful when it’s completed on-time and within budget. However, meeting those objectives rarely happens by chance.

Instead, to accomplish them, an experienced project manager needs to monitor the project’s progress every step of the way to ensure that resources are delivering what they promised, when they promised it.

If they aren’t, it’s the PM’s job to course-correct. In the absence of someone actively taking that role, projects can easily be derailed.

What are the Different Project Management Methodologies?

There are literally dozens of different project management methodologies. However, some methodologies are used far more than others.

For instance, here are the 5 most common project management methodologies:

Kanban

Developed in the 1940s, the Kanban approach uses a visual framework that simplifies the process of organizing and managing projects. To accomplish this, each step of the workflow is depicted on a visual board, known as a “Kanban board.”

Because the workflow is transparent, each team member can see what tasks are being worked on and who is doing the work, as well as which tasks haven’t been started yet.

Pros of Kanban

Easy for teams to understand quickly
Helps eliminate work redundancies
Shortens cycle time

Cons of Kanban

Doesn’t use dates or timeframes
Less useful for complex or large projects
The Kanban board can become outdated, creating complications

What Is Kanban Best Suited For?

The Kanban approach is great for small-to-medium size projects that don’t require a lot of structure. Due to its flexibility, Kanban is best used on projects where the tasks have few interdependencies and can be completed by one team–rather than requiring cross-functional collaboration.

Waterfall

The Waterfall methodology, which was developed in the 1970s, approaches project management in a linear fashion, consisting of 7 non-overlapping, sequential phases: Requirements, Analysis, Design, Coding/Implementation, Testing, Operation/Deployment, and Maintenance.

With this traditional model, each phase has formal exit criteria that must be met, like signoffs by key stakeholders–before the next phase begins. Additionally, the Waterfall model is based on fixed dates, requirements, and outcomes.

Pros of Waterfall

Requirements are clear and unchanging
Uses a logical structure
Progress is easy to measure

Cons of Waterfall

Little flexibility, even early on
Longer delivery time
Maintaining Waterfall documentation is time-consuming

What Is Waterfall Best Suited For?

The Waterfall methodology was initially used by the manufacturing and construction industries, before becoming one of the oldest and most widely used software development life cycle models.

Waterfall works best for projects with phases that must be completed sequentially, because it offers a predictable, linear approach. Additionally, this methodology is useful for projects with fixed, clearly defined deliverables and requirements.

Lean

In the 1930s, Toyota production-control expert, Ohno Taiichi, heard that it took 9 Japanese workers to do the work of 1 American worker. As he considered the difference, Taiichi concluded that there must be a lot of waste in Japanese manufacturing. He subsequently created the Toyota Production System, a methodology aimed at producing high-quality products efficiently by eliminating waste.

The principles of Lean were later developed in 1991, and they were largely based on the Toyota Production System. According to the PMI, “To be Lean is to provide what is needed, when it is needed, with the minimum amount of materials, equipment, labor, and space.”

To achieve this, there are 3 main pillars of Lean: (1) learn to spot waste, (2) make daily improvements, and (3) record those improvements.

Pros of Lean

Greater efficiency
Improvement in quality
Increased profitability

Cons of Lean

Lean practices necessitate a complete overhaul; without employee buy-in, that overhaul can be difficult to implement
Requires a lot of upfront time and planning
The implementation costs associated with Lean can be high

What Is Lean Best Suited For?

Although Lean initially got its start in manufacturing, today Lean management principles are used in IT, construction, education, and other industries.

Because Lean consists of small, self-managing teams, Lean methodology works best on small projects with short delivery timeframes. It’s also ideal for organizations that want to transform their daily operations.

Agile

Agile is named as such, because the word agility “signifies the ability to move something forward in a quick way that allows easy changes of direction.”

Really, Agile can be considered more of a philosophy than a methodology. Still, this framework is so popular in software development that a discussion of project management methodologies would be incomplete without it.

The Agile approach is iterative in that it breaks projects into smaller cycles, called sprints. These short sprints typically last 2-4 weeks, and teams release segments of the project at the end of each sprint.

Because these segments are fixed fast if flaws are found, continuous improvement occurs throughout the project lifecycle–mitigating the risk of system-wide failures.

Pros of Agile

Allows for faster delivery, higher quality work
Solicits client feedback throughout the course of the entire project, so clients are more likely to be pleased with the end result
More flexible and responsive than other methodologies

Cons of Agile

Projects can become ever-lasting, since there’s no clear end date
Costs can be difficult to project
Increased tendency for scope creep

What Is Agile Best Suited For?

Typically, Agile is associated with software development, however, the Agile framework is also used by the construction, engineering, aerospace, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as many others.

Agile works best for urgent, complex projects that have a lot of moving pieces. It’s also particularly valuable for projects that produce a product of some sort that can be released in iterations. Additionally, because Agile projects solicit ongoing client feedback, this framework works well when adaptability is a priority.

SCRUM

SCRUM is a type of Agile methodology. While SCRUM follows the general principles of Agile, SCRUM provides a more specific framework that includes further definitions and specifications.

With the SCRUM framework, a product owner prioritizes their most important objectives, creating what’s known as a product backlog. The project team then chooses high-priority items from the product backlog to tackle during the upcoming sprint–those items make up the sprint backlog.

At the end of each sprint, work should be complete and ready to hand off. The SCRUM process is an iterative one, with the project team tackling the highest-priority items in sprint after sprint.

Pros of SCRUM

Faster delivery of a viable product
Sprints make it easier to manage larger projects
Because work is delivered after each sprint rather than at the end of the project, correcting mistakes is relatively easy with SCRUM

Cons of SCRUM

Frequent communication is key, which makes SCRUM better suited to smaller teams (i.e. 4-6 members)
SCRUM requires everyday meetings (known as the daily scrum), which the project team may find time-consuming and tedious
With no deadline to deliver a final product, scope creep is common

What Is SCRUM Best Suited For?

Over the years, the SCRUM methodology has been used in many different industries, including: software development, education, construction, automotive, marketing, event planning, product development, and financial services.

SCRUM works well for complex projects where customer requirements aren’t fully defined or are subject to change. Because adaptations are likely to arise once the project gets underway, SCRUM is best suited for companies with corporate cultures that are flexible and open to change.

How to Manage a Project from Start to Finish

There are 8 key steps to successfully managing a project:

1. Identify Project Goals

The first step in managing any project is to meet with the project sponsor and key stakeholders to delve deeper into the project request, finding out the answers to questions, like:

What should the project accomplish?
What are the anticipated benefits of the project?
What timeframe does the project need to be completed by?
What’s the budget for the project?

These are questions the project manager needs to answer, so he or she fully understands the client’s objectives, expectations, timeline, and budget before moving forward.

2. Determine Feasibility

Once the project goals have been clearly outlined, it’s time to evaluate:

Whether there are any potential risks that could affect the success of the project
How much money the project is likely to cost
And whether resources have the necessary time and skills to work on the project

In some cases, it may be determined that there’s no point in moving forward—-after all, it hardly makes sense to solve a $5 problem with a $5,000 project.

However, if the project is deemed feasible, the next step in the process is to define the project’s scope.

3. Define the Project’s Scope

During this step, the project manager determines and documents the project requirements i.e. the scope of the project. This documentation should include specific goals, deliverables, features, functions, tasks, deadlines, and costs. Essentially, it outlines everything that needs to occur for the project to be successful.

4. Create the Project Plan

After determining the scope of the project, the project manager is responsible for creating the project plan. The project plan contains all the important details of the project, including its goals, scope, milestones & deliverables, work breakdown structure, personnel needs, risk management plan, project schedule, communication plan, and budget.

At larger organizations, the project plan will typically go through a formal review and signoff process that involves management, the project sponsor, the project team, and other key stakeholders.

5. Execute the Project

Once the project plan has been approved by key stakeholders, the project manager typically holds a kick-off meeting.

During this meeting, the PM will discuss the project tasks with team members, as well as the project timeline, milestones, and deliverables. This ensures that the entire team is on the same page, so the project can get off to a great start.

6. Monitor Progress

It isn’t enough for the project manager to just send team members on their way after the kick-off meeting and assume everything will get done as discussed.

Instead, the project manager needs to keep track of how the project is unfolding by monitoring whether tasks are being completed on-time and within budget. In the event that they aren’t, the PM needs to revise the project’s timeline to account for any variances.

7. Communicate

Throughout the course of the entire project, the project manager needs to communicate with key stakeholders to keep them apprised of the project’s status.

This keeps clients in the loop, so they can see that progress is being made and don’t experience any last-minute surprises. It also provides the opportunity for clients to provide feedback, should their priorities change based on how the project is unfolding.

8. Close Project

Once all the project deliverables have been completed, the project manager obtains all the necessary signoffs from the key project stakeholders. The PM will also perform a post-mortem of the project to evaluate how it went from the team’s perspective.

During that analysis, the PM works with team members to answer questions like:

What went well with the project?
What challenges did you experience?
How was communication on the team?
How can we improve future projects?

Using this feedback, the project manager will document lessons learned for the benefit of future project teams.

In Conclusion

Project management can seem like a massive undertaking. However, the entire process is made much easier when you have the right knowledge and project management software.

Hopefully, this blog post has given you a good understanding of the basics of project management. Our PM software can help you run better projects as well. To learn more about Teamly, click here.

September 23, 2021November 29, 2021

The Must-Have Guide For Effectively Collaborating In The Workplace

We live in an age where the market is flooded with new and budding businesses working to make it big in the corporate world. With so much competition, companies need to step up their workplace morale, and one effective way to do that is to incorporate collaboration wherever possible.

It’s more than just teamwork…

It’s your ticket to long-term success!

What Is Collaboration?

Collaboration in the workplace can easily be described as “when two or more people work together through idea sharing and thinking to accomplish a task” and has been a long-standing foundation of corporate success.

The benefits of collaboration are staggering, however, it seems to be an area many corporations struggle to implement successfully. In fact, research has shown that nearly 75% of employers view collaboration in the workplace as an important aspect of success, but often fail to implement it effectively and review its effectiveness within their organization.

With so few companies following through with collaborative environments, the ones that do truly stand apart and will retain their employees much longer than those that don’t offer collaborative opportunities.

Why Is Collaborating In The Workplace Important?

As an employee health benefit and human resource provider, Gusto discovered that 52% of individuals who took their Employee Happiness Survey would consider quitting their job if collaboration – and the sense of community that comes along with it – was missing from their work environment. Additionally, a survey done by Queens University in Charlotte, found that 39% of the employees felt their workplace didn’t offer enough collaboration.

By not evolving your company to include collaboration in a way that works, you’ll be looking at an alarmingly high turnover rate, and spending an unnecessary amount on retraining new employees to fill those spots on a regular basis.

A study that was completed by Salesforce involved a total of 1400 executives and found that 86% felt there was a direct correlation between project failure and a lack of collaboration.

The missing component of collaboration causes both higher turnover rates AND creates lower rates of project quality (or even project completion) altogether!

Collaborating In The Workplace Benefits Both The Business And The Employees

There have been many studies that have looked at the outcomes of collaboration in the workplace, and it’s been proven time and time again that successful implementation has staggering benefits not only to your business but for your employees as well.

In a study done by Saïd Business School of Oxford University, it was determined that when employees are happy, they become 13% more productive, while a survey by WeWork and Ipsos found that individuals who had collaborative team opportunities were of the most satisfied group of employees and felt it was the best way to boost their careers. By creating a work environment where your employees are provided with a collaborative team to help pull the weight of projects, you allow them to apply their efforts to their areas of strength without the concern of falling short in the rest of the project.

When employees begin working as a team, they’ll build essential skills (such as problem-solving and creativity) that can be created more powerfully through collaboration with others. These skills continue to be developed via the environment the employee is in and more often, the people they are working with, as they will be exposed to a variety of skill sets and experiences.

What Does Collaboration Look Like In The Workplace?

There are 4 main ways you can tell if collaboration is present within a workplace, and they’re a great way to determine if your workplace is implementing collaboration effectively.

1. Communication

Communication is key in any work environment, but when it comes to collaboration, communication becomes non-negotiable. It’s paramount when working in a team.

Communication has a variety of aspects that need to work in harmony if a team is going to find success. These include active listening, written and verbal communication, and non-verbal communication. These all play a vital role in how a member’s message is heard when sharing with the group, and it influences how the team will respond in kind.

When working as a team, it’s imperative that each member is able to communicate effectively in a way that will not only make them feel heard and understood but also allow them to feel confident in sharing their ideas for team consideration.

If communication is lacking, it can have a ripple effect on the entire morale of the team. In a survey completed by Accountemps, they found that 33% of HR managers felt most morale problems were directly related to a breakdown of communication among employees, clearly depicting the importance of communications skills within a team environment.

Any strong team will possess communications skills that are unparalleled, and use them to work cohesively and respectfully with one another.

2. Accountability

When working as a team, accountability can create incredible results…or be devastating for the team’s outcome. The role it will play is inherently up to those members in the team, the standards of the leaders, and the trust they have in one another.

If members struggle to take responsibility for their assigned portion or fail to communicate effectively during essential meetings, it can create an environment where the project will suffer and each team member will begin only taking themselves into consideration. It becomes less of a team atmosphere and more competition amongst each other…which doesn’t bode well for the project they’re sharing.

However, more often than not, teams will develop a deep-rooted trust for one another and become even more engaged with their portion of the project. By working in a collaborative environment, team members have a higher level of engagement in large part due to their respect for their team and knowing their contributions will be a reflection on the team as a whole, and will directly affect the other members. Many people will work harder to produce a high standard of work when it directly relates to others as well.

How accountability influences your company’s collaborative teams rests in how it is introduced and guided from within.

3. Diversity

Diversity is one of the most important factors when considering the members of the collaborative team. It fosters a healthy, well-rounded knowledge base and allows for a variety of skill sets for the team.

In a recent post by Forbes, they shared their companies outlook in regards to collaboration, stating “we employ a cross-section of people of different generations and experience levels, we encourage multiple points of view to be expressed without judgement and stress the importance of teamwork.”

Only certain people can bring certain aspects to a team, making diversity the only way to ensure you have a team that can bring high calibre projects home that honor the differences individuals experience. In an interview with Salesforce, Elaine Welteroth, the first Black beauty and health director at Teen Vogue said of leaders that “while you, as an individual, do not need to reflect the diversity of the world and you won’t deeply understand the complex issues facing every kind of community – it is your responsibility to hire for your blind spots by making sure your team is reflective of the world.”

Creating your team with intention, and allowing space for a diverse set of outlooks and experiences will help shape the final product of any project.

4. Appreciation

Employee appreciation is becoming more and more important in the workforce. People want to know their work is being noticed, and they want reassurance that what they’re doing is great. Without that, companies risk an increased turnover rate in employees or a decrease in productivity and quality of work.

Based on a 10 year study, the O.C. Tanner Learning Group found that of all employees who quit their jobs, 79% listed the key reason for their departure as a lack of appreciation, and 65% reported that over the last year, they weren’t recognized by their company once.

These stats give us a very clear insight into the importance appreciation plays in the workplace. When employees feel their efforts won’t be noticed, they feel as if their work (and inherently themselves) aren’t valuable members. Simple acts of appreciation can create a healthier, happier work environment for all.

The 5 Pillars to Creating Successful Collaboration

1. Team Building

In our recent blog 7 Super-Effective Ways to Boost Employee Morale, we discussed the importance of team building and the positive effects it can have on your company. By creating an environment where your employees are working together towards a common goal, you are effectively removing the pressure from your employees to create something amazing on their own. When you allow them the opportunity to work to their strengths, while other members of the team complete the other aspects that are more well suited to their abilities, each member of the team will enjoy their jobs more and provide them with the opportunity to produce a higher caliber of work.

According to British Council’s Business Magazine, “working together as a team allows people to achieve things that could never be done by just one person…people who are collaborating on tasks stay interested for longer, feel less tired and get better results than people working alone.”

2. Communication Development

In a survey done by Queens University of Charlotte, they found that communication training was provided to 27% of participants, and it was nearly only those individuals who felt confident in their communication abilities at work.

The development of communication skills is essential for all teams, as it will set the foundation for how they navigate their professional relationship and their ability to collaborate together successfully. Communication is at the base of every team, and developing their ability to do so effectively will set them up for success, and also create a work environment that is comfortable and respectful for each member.

3. Small Project Groups

Research has shown that when a team grows beyond 20 members, there is a clear regression in collaboration. This naturally occurs when so many lines of communication are open at once for a single project. With too many various ideas and opinions, it’s hard to settle on a common direction for the project.

Smaller teams can get more in-depth and create a clear line of communication, allowing every member’s ideas to be heard and considered. This fosters a more intimate work environment, allowing the team to dive deeper into the project and provides an atmosphere where members can work to their own personal strengths and come together to review and revise to create a cohesive outcome that is hard to beat.

4. Clear Communication of Expectations

No team can thrive without a clear list of expectations. By knowing the exact outcome a team is looking for, they can work backwards from it and create a roadmap for the members to navigate in respect to their position in the project.

A clear list of expectations minimizes confusion throughout the timeline of the project, and can mitigate any disagreements between team members as they arise by referencing the expectations document that was agreed upon at the start of the project.

Having clear communication is essential in helping each member understand their role and the common outcome, so they can create a final product that flows seamlessly together.

5. Judgement-Free Idea Sharing

In a workplace equality and values report by Salesforce, they discovered that “employees are more productive when they feel they belong, are heard, and are able to be their authentic self at work” stating that from their survey they found 75% of employees who felt a sense of belonging at their company were empowered to perform their best work.

Being able to speak freely and respectfully, while knowing your team will listen and respond in kind, greatly increases the number of ideas provided and is directly related to the quality of work that can be created by each team member, while fostering a healthy and enjoyable work atmosphere for the team.

Creating an environment where employees have the freedom to share ideas without concern for judgement, provides a workplace culture where idea sharing begins to thrive and produce higher quality work.

An added benefit is that brainstorming with others opens the mind to perspectives that may not have been considered before and could not have been without first being exposed to it via another member of the team. It teaches each member of the team new ways to think when presented with future problems, making it easy to surpass previous project goals and aim higher.

Conclusion

In conclusion, implementing and further developing collaboration in your workplace can help your company thrive, creating a happier work environment where your employees find deeper engagement with their work, develop a more productive work ethic, and bring projects to completion that far exceed the competition.

Set your employees up for success and allow your company to thrive by successfully creating a collaborative work environment.

September 23, 2021April 10, 2022

7 Effective Ways To Run a Highly Successful Meeting

Regular meetings play a large part in how a team comes together to problem-solve, appreciate one another’s contributions, and make aligned decisions.

However, if a meeting is not run well, it can have lasting effects on employee motivation and productivity.

As leaders of these meetings, it’s important to understand what causes bad meetings, the long-term effects it can have on everyone involved, and how to expertly conduct the discussion in a way that saves time and boosts morale.

What Are The Causes of a Bad Meeting?

When a team has an unproductive meeting, everyone in the room can feel it. The energy is low. Not everyone is engaged or interested in contributing meaningfully to the discussion. And as a result, it’s unclear whether the group came to a resolution. There are a number of reasons why meetings can become ineffective and a drain on valuable time and energy. According to SHRM.org, here are the most common meeting problems for employees.

Starting or ending late – Starting a meeting late, or ending well after the allotted time, can set the tone for the rest of the meeting. Most people leave the conversation feeling like their time wasn’t respected.
Unnecessary meetings – These are the meetings that could have been handled in an email or in separate conversations with the right people instead of unnecessarily pulling together the entire team.
Too much time, not enough time – Understanding the purpose of the meeting is important in deciding how much time is needed to get efficient results.
Employees appear distracted – This is a sign that some members of the team are not being engaged enough by the conductor of the meeting and are openly distracted by whatever else is around them.
Employees interrupt each other – These are behaviors as a result of a poorly run meeting that eventually leads to tense arguments and awkward silences.
Not sticking to an agenda or no agenda – A disorganized meeting makes everyone question the very purpose behind the conversation and why they’re even included in the first place.
Employee/Facilitator not prepared – This makes a meeting appear sloppy, hastily put together, and unimportant.

What Are The Consequences of a Poorly Run Meeting?

Running an effective meeting means more than just keeping people focused on the topic. It’s about fostering the growth of an employee so they can fully step into their role and feel like a valued member of the team. Ultimately, it’s a key piece of the company’s culture.

But if the group is not set up for success, having consistently bad meetings can produce consequences that affect the individual, team, and even leadership.

Let’s take a look at the consequences of badly run meetings:

Less time devoted to important tasks – More time is spent being in meetings rather than on actual work tasks, which can create a backlog on critical assignments.
Disrupts workflow and concentration – Unnecessary meetings can break concentration and reduce productivity as a result of constant task switching. In fact, Meeting Recovery Syndrome refers to the period that employees need to mentally recover from a bad meeting.
Increases burnout and frustration– Back-to-back meetings — especially with most of the world transitioning to a largely remote capacity — can lead to increased stress and exhaustion amongst participants, especially if the goals of the meetings are unclear and remain unresolved (Source: CNBC.com).
Reveals dysfunction – Bad meetings can be a symptom of deeper issues within the company and its culture as it can be made abundantly clear who is doing more, who is doing less, etc. which creates feelings of resentment amongst the staff (Source: Forbes).
Wastes money – On average, the U.S. spends about $37 billion on salary costs for unnecessary meetings (Source: Atlassian.com). This affects a company’s bottom line and its ability to have continued success.

7 Ways To Improve the Way We Run Our Meetings

Now that we understand how poorly run meetings can have a major impact on a company’s culture, work output, and employee morale, let’s dive into some of the most compelling methods that can help turn a bad meeting into one that engages and motivates.

Tip #1 To Run a Meeting Effectively: Know The Purpose of Your Meeting

A meeting has to have a single objective in mind, and the way towards this destination must be clear for everyone who is expected to contribute to the discussion. One of the best ways to plan a meeting is to first understand the difference between a meeting’s topic vs. its purpose.

According to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, a topic is defined as “the subject of a discourse.” Whereas the definition of a purpose is “something set up as an object or end to be attained.”

So, when we apply this to our internal meetings, we need to identify:

What is the topic of discussion? For example, “Weekly check-in meeting” or “Discuss new workflow process.” As topics, these titles work just fine, but for the purpose of the meeting, they’re considerably vague. Your team is going to want more detail than just the name of the topic in order to be better prepared.
What is the purpose of the meeting? The more specific we are with the end goal, the easier it will be to form an effective agenda. Using our prior example with “weekly check-in meetings”, the purpose of these particular meetings would be to come up with resolutions for each identified problem that employees find during the workweek.

Tip #2 To Run a Meeting Effectively: Remove Ambiguity

63% of meetings are still conducted without an agenda (Source: ReadyTalk.com). This means that most people come unprepared to their meetings and are unable to participate effectively. In order to run an efficient meeting, create a plan that paves the path towards the end goal. Putting together an agenda is a great way to set expectations and provides an opportunity to get ready for the discussion in advance.

According to the HR Daily Advisor, an agenda is critical for meetings as it avoids being an extra cost to a company’s resources when participants show up unprepared.

Agendas are beneficial for a few other key reasons:

Saves valuable time
Keeps everyone focused
Gets the right people in the room
Increases productivity
Reminds the conductor of what else needs to be covered with the team

If the agenda is framed in questions, this could help zero in on who really needs to be there and what answers are needed.

After an agenda is created, circulate the materials a few days before the meeting to all the relevant individuals who are considered mandatory participants. Give them ample time to review the contents and ask any clarifying questions. This will also give the key players time to contribute to the agenda, leading to well-rounded and thoughtful talking points.

Tip #3 To Run a Meeting Effectively: Assign roles

Everyone should have a role. Not only does this ensure that everyone is actively engaged, but it also improves the dynamic of the meeting so that the entire team can get through the agenda in a timely manner.

There are four critical roles that should be present in every meeting:

The Timekeeper – In this role, the Timekeeper will make sure that each action item is discussed within an allotted amount of time to keep the meeting going at a good pace. The leader of the meeting may be too busy facilitating to keep track of time.
The Notetaker – Someone on the team should be dedicated to taking notes so that everyone can contribute without having to worry about missing any crucial details. Any conclusions or next steps as a result of the discussion will be routed to everyone at the end.
The Participant(s) – These are the individuals presenting their expertise on the subject and any important insights that help the team arrive at a decision.
The Leader – The leader is the facilitator and ensures that everyone is heard and has had a chance to speak and voice their thoughts. This role will also reiterate key points and conclude the meeting with clear next steps.

In order to get a better picture of how to run the meeting and get the best outcome, it’s important to know your team and their individual strengths.

Tip #4 To Run a meeting Effectively: Be a Good Host and Lead With Purpose

Because meetings are such an integral part of the workplace — on average 62 meetings are attended per month by most employees — it’s no wonder that bad meetings can have a significant impact on employee morale! (Source: Atlassian.com)

We strive to nurture an employee culture of compassion, respect, and honesty, yet we also want to cultivate a high-performing team that is solution-focused. This means that the way we run meetings must also reflect these values.

As the facilitator of the meeting, it’s your job to help everyone feel welcomed and appreciated from the beginning.

Once you have created an encouraging atmosphere, you can then establish clear rules and expectations for the rest of the meeting:

State the purpose
Do a quick, high-level overview of the agenda
Be clear with the outcome that needs to be achieved
Address how questions will be answered (whether that’d be at the end or throughout the meeting)

It’s also important to keep in mind that “COVID fatigue” has affected a large amount of the workforce. Virtual meetings have increased dramatically since the start of the pandemic. And as many companies consider a full transition into a fully virtual or hybrid workforce, “Zoom fatigue” can be a real issue as more people are left feeling even more exhausted and irritated than ever before.

Running a meeting during a pandemic means understanding that the participants will be experiencing a heavier cognitive load, according to Stanford News. They’ll be occupied with things that are normally absent during in-person meetings:

Focusing on what they look like while they video conference
Making more effort with nonverbal cues to communicate that you agree/disagree with something
Misinterpreting nonverbal cues
Staying in the same spot so that they’re centered in the video frame
Trouble identifying where to look on the screen

While we still have many challenges to tackle when it comes to our virtual meetings, we can use this as an opportunity to practice leading with compassion and keeping the meetings concise.

Tip #5 To Run a Meeting Effectively: Make Timekeeping a Priority.

Start and end a meeting on time. Every meeting may have a few stragglers, but that doesn’t mean the meeting should be held until they arrive or waste precious time trying to catch everyone up on what they’ve missed.

This can be detrimental to the productivity of the group as it’s already off to a bad start or needs to be constantly interrupted.

Instead, plan to dedicate the first few minutes to an activity such as an ice-breaker or informal check-in so that everyone has a chance to speak and loosen up before they dive into the essence of the agenda. This will also provide a window for late-comers to settle in without missing vital information.

To save time as the meeting progresses, any off-topic items or questions that come up can be sidelined. Acknowledge that it’s an essential point to go over and will be evaluated for discussion at the next meeting.

End the meeting at its scheduled time by letting everyone know that you want to respect the time they reserved for this discussion and recap any conclusions. If you can even end the meeting early, the better!

Tip #6 To Run a Meeting Effectively: Conclude With Next Steps or a Clear Decision

As the meeting draws to a close, it’s important to open up the floor to the team:

How is everyone feeling about the resolution or proposed next steps?
Do they have any final questions or comments?

More than 35% of employees feel like they have nothing to show after wasting at least 2 to 5 hours in meetings per day, according to Otter.ai.

Use the last few minutes of the meeting as a way to optimize the entire time by clarifying key takeaways, responsibilities, action items, and what will follow afterward.

The goal is to have the team leave the meeting feeling accomplished and clear on the next steps.

Tip #7 To Run a Meeting Effectively: Evaluate Meetings

Gathering feedback on meetings is another way to intentionally include your team and gain valuable insight into how they’re going.

This is an opportunity to get a temperature check on what’s going well, what isn’t working, and what could be improved to fix any gaps in communication. The key here is to not take any criticism personally. It’s not a reflection of your abilities as a host or as a leader.

Based on their thoughts, you can then try new and creative ways of engaging the team, being clearer with your expectations, and refining your methods to run efficient meetings.

In Conclusion

Learning how to run a meeting is an essential skill that can foster an environment of high-performers within an organization. If not conducted well, it can have serious repercussions on productivity and motivation.

Using these tips that we’ve given you here, you can begin to assess the way you currently run your own meetings and implement new strategies to hone your processes…and grow the company with positive and focused momentum.

August 14, 2021January 10, 2022

7 Super-Effective Ways to Boost Employee Morale

The happier your employees are, the more efficiently your business will operate–which is why employee morale is a topic worth taking seriously.

In this blog post, we’ll delve deeper into why that is and share 7 highly-effective methods to boost employee morale at your workplace. But before we do, let’s first clarify what employee morale actually is.

What Is Employee Morale?

Employee morale can be defined as “the overall satisfaction, outlook, and feelings of well-being that an employee holds in the workplace.”

At an organization where employees enjoy their jobs, support the company’s mission, and appreciate the corporate culture, employee morale is said to be high. By contrast, when employees feel mistreated, undervalued, or overworked, employee morale is often low.

Why Is Employee Morale Important?

Employee morale has a huge impact on numerous corporate goals, like profitability, productivity, and competitiveness. For instance, take a look at some of the ways employee morale affects the workplace:

For instance, take a look at some of the ways employee morale affects the workplace:

Work Quality – Work quality deteriorates when employee morale is low. In fact, according to the Journal of Applied Business Research, “engaged employees make fewer mistakes than disengaged employees because they want to ensure a job well done. They pay more attention to details and work with a greater sense of accuracy.”
Customer Experience – Great customer service helps to build brand loyalty. By contrast, disengaged or rude employees anger customers–who will often take their complaints to social media. When employee morale is low, employees are more likely to provide bad customer service–undermining all the efforts a company puts into attracting those customers in the first place.

Productivity – Unhappy employees are less engaged at work … and subsequently, get a lot less done. So much so that one Gallup report estimated that disengaged employees cost US businesses as much as $550 billion a year from lost productivity. By comparison, companies with engaged workers have 17% higher productivity and 41% lower absenteeism.
Employee Retention – Low employee morale is linked to higher turnover–which can be incredibly expensive for employers. For instance, according to Organization Science, the estimated cost of losing an $8/hour retail employee ranges between $3,500 and $25,000, due to hiring expenses, training labor, lost sales, and productivity. Worse, high turnover lowers employee morale even more–as overworked employees are forced to work harder to make up for a smaller or untrained workforce.
Profitability – Higher employee morale translates into greater profitability. For instance, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that companies with the highest employee engagement and happiness rankings earned at least double the amount of revenue as companies with the lowest employee engagement rates.Furthermore, companies with employee engagement programs report a whopping 223% greater customer loyalty and 26% higher increases in annual revenue.

What Causes Low Employee Morale?

There are a number of factors that can contribute to low employee morale. According to the HR Daily Advisor, the top 10 causes of low employee morale are:

Employee Mistreatment – When employees feel disrespected or mistreated by their managers, understandably, morale plummets.
Constantly Changing Goals – Employees get frustrated when employers change goals so frequently that new ones contradict past ones. Worse, not only do frequently changing goals create confusion, but they can also make previous work obsolete.
Unclear Expectations – When employees don’t know what’s expected of them–or the criteria they’re being judged against–it’s natural for them to feel discouraged.
Lack of Communication – Nobody enjoys being kept in the dark. Worse, a lack of communication provides an opportunity for workplace gossip to run rampant … which is why companies that fail to keep their employees in the loop typically have low employee morale.
Lack of Appreciation – Every employee wants to feel like their hard work is valued–when they don’t, they’re apt to seek out new opportunities. In fact, according to Forbes, 79% of people who quit their jobs cite “lack of appreciation” as their reason for leaving.
Micromanagement – Employees want to feel like they have the leeway to do their job–without their decisions constantly being called into question.
Micromanagement prevents that kind of autonomy, while showing a lack of trust in employees–which, as you might imagine, reduces employee morale.
Unreasonable Workload – It probably goes without saying that when someone is feeling constantly overburdened at work, they’re much more likely to experience resentment, burnout, and job dissatisfaction.
No Clear Employee Development Plan – When accepting a new job, most employees do so with an eye for the future, as they envision their path up the corporate ladder. However, when there’s no opportunity for growth–or the path is unclear–employees can start to feel frustrated.
Inadequate Compensation – Although compensation doesn’t affect employee morale as much as some of the other items on this list, everyone wants to be fairly compensated. In the absence of that, employees are more likely to experience low morale–especially if they’re also dealing with other workplace frustrations, like micromanagement or lack of appreciation.
High Turnover – As mentioned earlier, high workplace turnover typically means that other workers are stuck picking up the slack–which creates a stressful and unpleasant work environment.

7 Ways to Boost Employee Morale

Fortunately, there are a number of highly-effective ways companies can boost employee morale at their workplace. Here are some of our favorite methods …

Employee Morale Booster #1: Create a Culture of Thanks

One of the best ways to improve employee morale is to express appreciation. While there are a number of different ways to show employees that their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed, we particularly like how Badger Maps does it.

At Badger Maps, the leadership team sets aside time at the end of each Friday for team members to “give props” to anyone else on the team. This Friday forum presents a convenient opportunity for employees to publicly recognize their coworkers for their accomplishments and contributions throughout the week.

During this “TGIF meeting,” the company fosters an atmosphere of appreciation, respect, and teamwork–which goes a long way toward showing employees that their contributions are valued.

Employee Morale Booster #2: Adopt a Remote Work Policy

Clearly, not every business can implement a remote work policy. However, among those companies that can, it’s an idea well-worth considering, since not only do most adults (87%) want the ability to work remotely, but remote workers are also 22% happier than those who never work remotely.

More importantly, a remote work policy is a great way to boost employee morale. For instance, one study monitored the wellbeing of 255 call center employees for 9 months-half of whom worked from home, while the other half continued to work at the office.

At the end of the 9 months, the authors of the study concluded that remote workers had a higher positive attitude, less work exhaustion, and less attrition (17% vs. the control group at 35%).

Even better, workers tend to be especially appreciative when they’re given the ability to work from home–which is why according to one Flexjobs survey, a whopping 79% of employees said they would be more loyal to a company that offered more flexibility.

Employee Morale Booster #3: Promote Work/Life Balance

Not only are overworked employees more prone to anxiety and resentment, but they also experience lower morale and reduced productivity.

For instance, new research from Stanford shows that hourly productivity drops sharply when the workweek exceeds 50 hours, and when it exceeds 55 hours, productivity declines so much that there’s no benefit to having someone work beyond that.

So, rather than promoting a morale-killing culture where working nights and weekends is the norm, show workers you value their wellbeing by establishing a corporate policy that they can’t respond to emails on nights or weekends … and have to use their full vacation time every year.

Although these are relatively small changes, they’ll signal to workers that you care about their health and happiness–which will have a big impact on employee morale.

Employee Morale Booster #4: Small Gestures Mean a Lot

People experience high employee morale when they believe their employer truly cares–and views them as individuals, rather than merely “resources.”

For instance, according to the Limeade Institute, when employees feel cared for:

60% of them say they plan to stay at their companies for 3+ years (as opposed to only 7% who don’t feel cared for)
90% say they’re likely to recommend their workplace as a great place to work
94% feel personally engaged in their work

That’s why it’s a great idea to surprise employees from time-to-time with meaningful, small gestures–just to let them know your company cares.

For example, you might try offering pizza parties, donut days, casual Fridays, occasional gift cards, paid birthdays off, or the opportunity to leave work early from time-to-time.

Not only are these gestures fairly inexpensive, but they can also go a long way toward boosting employee morale.

Employee Morale Booster #5: Solicit Employee Feedback

It can be tough to improve employee morale if you don’t actually know what employees are thinking–which is why it’s so important you ask them.

Not only will soliciting feedback help you learn how employees really feel, but it’s also a great morale booster, since workers want the ability to provide feedback–but most companies give them little opportunity to do so.

Even better, there are lots of different ways you can implement this. For example, you could collect feedback using an employee engagement survey, a suggestion box, or even during a one-on-one meeting.

Just remember that the method you use for collecting employee feedback is less important than that you act on the feedback you receive.

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for employees to believe that nothing will come of the feedback they provide, so for this to be a successful morale booster, your organization needs to actually listen to employees–then respond accordingly.

Employee Morale Booster #6: Encourage Team Building

Research shows us that team building improves collaboration, productivity, employee retention rates, and engagement. It also helps foster workplace friendships, which is great for boosting employee morale.

For instance, according to one Officevibe study, 70% of employees say that friends at work are the most crucial element to a happy working life.

Furthermore, team building activities are a really effective way to improve communication in the workplace. So much so that according to Keka, 50% of the positive changes in communication patterns within the workplace can be accredited to social interaction outside of the workplace.

So, how can you encourage and promote social interaction beyond the office? We suggest trying some of the following activities:

Scavenger hunts
Volunteer outings
Trivia & game nights
Happy hours
League nights (bowling, softball, etc.)
Classes (painting, cooking, etc.)
Sporting events

By planning fun activities, not only will you promote team cohesion and trust, but you’ll also create an awesome corporate culture that’ll have a huge positive impact on employee morale.

Employee Morale Booster #7: Buy Green Plants

This one may sound like it’s coming from left field, but hear us out … by merely purchasing green plants and placing them strategically around the office, you can significantly boost employee morale.

For instance, according to Live Science, when 450 office workers were questioned about their job satisfaction and work environments, “people who toiled in offices with plants and window views reported they felt better about their job and the work they performed, compared to those in windowless offices without shrubbery around.”

And interestingly enough, plants were shown to have a greater impact on work happiness than windows … which is why research suggests that “plants are one of the least expensive, most useful ways to improve your employees’ experience of the workplace.”

So, if you’re looking for a cheap and easy way to boost employee morale, consider heading to your local nursery to pick up some green plants–stat!

In Conclusion

Employee morale may be one of the most important issues facing companies today–especially when you consider the impact it has on retention rates, productivity, and profitability.

Fortunately, there are plenty of simple ways companies can improve employee morale … and by trying any or all of the morale-boosting methods we’ve given here, you’re virtually guaranteed to experience happier, more engaged employees.