Page 110 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

90 Building a High Morale Workplace

• Be patient. The time and energy that you invest in resolv-
ing the problem will likely pay off big-time in terms of
morale.

• Summarize the employee’s point of view to ensure that
you have understood everything correctly. If not, ask for
clarification and then summarize your understanding
again.

• Ask for support. As manager, you have the right to ask
that your employees not tear down the morale of others
or deliberately block your efforts when you’re making
every attempt to do your job to the best of your ability.
Point out how this resistance is affecting others. Be specif-

ic. Offer examples. The person may not even realize the
power of his or her negativity.
• Let your employee know exactly what you expect. Ask
how you can offer support and help facilitate his or her
success in the organization. Ask what he or she needs in

order to stop bucking authority and start accepting the
changes. Make it clear that this individual’s approval of
the changes is not required.
• Ask what might be standing in the way of a mutual and
positive working arrangement that boosts everyone’s

morale and supports the team. Encourage questions and
be open to new ideas and opinions. Don’t expect this type
of situation to be easy. But it should not be impossible.

Manager’s Morale Challenge #3: Whiners and

Chronic Complainers

Some people seem to find fault with just about every-

thing. These people can be valuable when you need some
critical thinking about an idea or an issue, but otherwise
they can annoy their fellow employees, get on your
nerves, and undermine morale.

The first step to take when dealing with whiners and com-

plainers is to start by understanding the four basic reasons why