Page 62 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

42 Building a High Morale Workplace

Everyone Needs a Buddy
Buddy systems (a.k.a. shadow programs, employee coaching,
and mentoring) can be very beneficial for orientation and great
for morale. It’s easy to implement a buddy system. Simply assign a new
employee to someone who’s been around the company a while, to serve
as the buddy. Like a big brother or big sister, the buddy helps make the
new person’s transition into the workplace easier by taking the rookie to
meetings, introducing him or her to other employees, eating lunch
together, and sharing experiences about the company and the job.

and creativity. When workers are having fun, they’re energized

and morale runs high. And then, when their managers join in
with them, everything cranks up a notch—employees are moti-
vated to do their best work.

Know the names of everyone who works for you. It doesn’t
matter if the work group consists of a few employees or a few

hundred, managers should know them all.

From day one, be clear on your expectations. This is a key
retention tactic that managers need to hone. From the start, new
employees must understand what is expected of them and how

Smart Managers Know These Fun Facts
Companies who use fun to build morale and increase reten-
tion are aware of these fun facts:
• Fact #1. When people have fun on the job, there’s often a reduc-
tion in overall stress, which means lower health care costs, less
absenteeism, greater productivity, and improved morale.
• Fact #2. When an organization encourages workers to enjoy a
sense of humor, they often respond with a more flexible approach
to their work, which inspires more innovative and creative thinking.
• Fact #3. Humor helps lighten the load and unites people.
• Fact #4. Being silly can help employees put things into perspective.
When people enjoy a healthy sense of humor about their work, it
forces them to step back and see the big picture, usually more
clearly. In the words of Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein,
“If people did not sometimes do silly things, nothing intelligent
would ever get done.”