Page 25 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

Business on Planet Earth, No Longer as We Know It 5

the key characteristics and behaviors necessary to build morale:

• Are managers rewarding workers for exceeding the
expectations of their jobs? Remember the famous words

of Dallas cosmetics mogul, the late Mary Kay Ash: “The
two things that people want more than sex or money are
recognition and praise.” What have you done lately for
employees who contribute regularly to product and serv-
ice improvements or help reduce the costs of operation

without sacrificing quality?
* Are you really empowering your people? Or are you just
giving them responsibility and then telling them how to do
the job? How often do you grant workers more responsi-

bility for achieving greater performance and productivity
in their jobs? Are you giving them the authority to use
company assets to quickly satisfy customer needs?
• What do you do so employees feel safe about expressing
their differences without fear of management reprisal? Do

you review and seriously consider their grievances on a
timely basis? To maintain high morale, deal with differ-
ences as quickly as possible. The faster you settle a griev-
ance, the lower the levels of disruption and the higher the
levels of morale and employee satisfaction.

It’s been proven over and over again that the environment

Putting on the Ritz for Greater Morale
How can a company empower its employees? Take a look at
the Ritz-Carlton hotels—twice the recipient of the presti-
gious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Ritz Carlton authoriz-
es its employees to spend up to $2,000 to fix any customer’s prob-
lem—right on the spot, with no questions asked.We’re not just talking
about managers or supervisors here.We’re talking about every single
Ritz Carlton employee, from bellhop to front desk clerk, from house-
keeper to gift shop worker.The Ritz Carlton has successfully created
an exemplary model for trusting employees and empowering them to
do the right thing, which is also a great way to build their self-esteem
and morale.