Page 160 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

140 Building a High Morale Workplace

missions to the fund and help the families who were left
behind.
We set up a college scholarship fund for each of the

victim’s children.
We continually reminded each other that we all win
against terror and crime when each of us creates new
opportunities for the firm and our fellow employees, or

when one of us gets on a plane and flies to a conference
to learn something new and valuable to share with our co-
workers, or just by getting up in the morning and coming
to work with a positive attitude in honor of those who are
no longer with us.

All of these things helped our company to recapture
its once extremely high employee morale. It didn’t happen
quickly, but over time it worked and we got better. We
were able to heal ourselves and move on.

Reclaiming Their Freedom from Fear and Anxiety

Managers should remember that when their employees’ faith
and belief in a brighter future evaporate because of a tragedy,

their passion and love for the job can disappear too. Therefore,
it’s important for managers to focus on what will make life bet-
ter for everyone. What will it take to make your employees
happy and fulfilled once again? When we help our employees
reclaim their enthusiasm and think, dream, and reach for the

stars again, everything they do becomes more productive,
lucrative, and meaningful. The questions to ask are “What is the
most worthwhile way we can spend our time?” and “What do
we need to do to become whole again?” Then, start doing it.

The Importance of Crisis Debriefing

When tragedy strikes, managers can be extremely influential in
helping employees to reclaim their freedom from fear and anxi-
ety just by knowing what resources are available to them. Crisis
debriefing, a form of crisis management, has proven to be one

very helpful alternative and resource that managers worldwide