Page 105 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

The High Price of Low Morale 85

some effective ways to
Take Notes
handle these most com- As you encounter per-
mon performance issues formance scenarios on the

and morale problems. job that directly impact company
Of course there are no morale, take notes and start prepar-
absolute “right” ways to ing your own addendum to the
handle a morale-threaten- Manager’s Toolkit.Ask other managers
and supervisors for their input as
ing situation. Every man-
well. Before you know it, you’ll have
ager must use his or her
compiled a valuable resource from
judgment based on the
which future managers and supervi-
organization, the people sors will learn and benefit.
involved, and other factors

specific to the situation. However, it’s always good to know that
you have a place to turn when the going gets particularly rough.
That place is this chapter, where you’ll find suggestions and
ideas for making your job a little easier.

Manager’s Morale Challenge #1: Rumors

In any community of people, rumors are inevitable. People
circulate rumors because they’re concerned, worried, curi-
ous, bored, or mean. In the workplace, rumors can affect
morale both positively and negatively—usually negatively.

How serious do rumors have to become before they affect

employee morale? When does a manager need to get involved?
That depends. Managers know that rumors in the workplace are
inevitable. But if the rumor mill is working at full capacity and
rumors start flying that instill fear or malice in the hearts of your

employees, then you’ve got a real problem that you must
address on the double.
Managers often choose to simply ignore the rumors they
know to be untrue and to concentrate on the tales that have
merit but are distorted to the point that they constitute a serious
threat to employee morale. However, you should also consider

the scope of the rumors. If the rumors affect everyone and
seem to have developed out of a general concern, you can sim-