Page 81 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

To Boost Morale, Alter the Environment 61

Most Requested Perk—Flexibility.
Managers who expect to succeed in maintaining high
employee morale will have to be flexible. Here’s the kind of
flexibility employees ask for the most.Top picks include…
• Telecommuting
• Flexible schedules
• Job sharing
• Compressed workweek (10-hour days, four days a week)
• Reduction in summer work hours
• Time off for personal business when necessary

fulfill his employees’ requests. According to the kitchen staff, all

they needed to make the environment easier to work in and
more enjoyable was a new set of kitchen knives and a larger,
more durable blender. That was it! Just two things and the man-
ager was able to quickly and easily upgrade the kitchen’s work

environment.
By trying to satisfy your employees’ needs, you’ll be
building higher employee
morale, which inevitably Environmental synergy
contributes to lots of posi- The result of environmental

tive energy, which in turn interactions that make the
becomes synergy, meaning whole greater than the sum of its
parts, allowing team members to
that the members of the
accomplish more together than they
team accomplish more
could separately. Synergy helps devel-
together than they would op a healthier work environment

divided. When this hap- where everyone feels more comfort-
pens you’ll be maximizing able in times of both harmony and
and improving the environ- conflict.With environmental synergy,
ment for everyone. together everyone achieves more!

The Most Powerful Way to Improve the
Environment—Train Everyone!

The Container Store in Dallas, Texas, gives its employees more
than 100 hours of training a year. Edward Jones initiates new
brokers with 17 weeks of classes and study sessions. And