I read an article several years ago that defined morale as, “A sense of shared direction, or the enjoyment of succeeding in group goals.” I once had a professor in graduate school who defined morale as the product of team spirit. My good friend and colleague Dr. Marshall Sashkin once described organizational morale as “The existence of managerial fairness in a climate where employees feel valued, productive and satisfied.” If I were forced to give a definition I would say that employee morale is a condition where employees feel recognized for good performance, appreciated for their contributions, receive appropriate and timely feedback for their efforts, and feel reciprocated trust from both management and other employees.” How’s that for a lot of psychobabble? Now you understand why it’s been said that psychologists speak a foreign language.

Regardless of the definition, it’s not difficult for most people to recognize when an organization has high or low morale. Over time most observant people become experts in sensing when morale is present. When you walk into a retail store, how long does it take before you clearly know if the employees in that store want to be there, or have to be there? When you encounter any direct customer contact employee, in person or on the telephone, how long before you know: have to or want to? Only seconds, right?

Many years ago I visited a number of supermarkets with the Senior Executive Vice President of the company for which I worked. I learned many things from this person, but one of the most significant things he taught me was what he called “taking a store’s temperature.” As he entered a store he would stop about 20 feet inside the front door for about a minute and listen, or “feel” as he said, to the temperature of the store. When I first saw him do this I wasn’t sure what was going on. But then he explained that the best way to take the temperature of a retail store was to listen to it. He said this was more accurate from a long-term perspective than looking at the monthly profit and loss statement. Not sure exactly what he meant, I asked what he could hear when he listened. That’s when he said, “Happy, satisfied and productive employees create a sound that is much different from the sound made by unhappy and unproductive employees.” He maintained that the ability to hear the difference was a critical skill in managing a multiple store chain.

So for years I have done the same thing and take the temperature of the stores I visit. And sure enough, stores with high morale sound different than stores with low morale. Now I agree that this technique is highly unscientific and obviously arbitrary. But it does provide a quick assessment that is reasonably accurate. I suggest that you give it a try.

The Genesis of Morale

Where does morale come from? Is it simply the product of team spirit, or is it something else far more complicated? Another critical question must also be how is morale created? Sometimes considering an opposite question and answer can narrow the desired answer down. For example, an airline currently under bankruptcy protection recently wanted to improve the morale of its flight attendants. The method used was to hold meetings of about 200 flight attendants at a time and try to cheer them up. In carefully orchestrated meetings complete with much fan-fare, exciting music, fancy food, and considerable alcohol, the airline executives explained that their goal was to create a friendlier atmosphere and happy employees. This they felt would help them solve their serious financial problems. Then they explained to the flight attendants that to accomplish this goal there would be more “ghost riders” on planes to catch flight attendants making mistakes so they could be summarily terminated.  A ghost rider is an airline term similar to a mystery shopper in the retail industry.

Isn’t surprising that most of the flight attendants reacted badly to the meetings and the threat of “be happy and friendly or you will be fired.” There isn’t much difference in the airlines message than the poster that reads, “Firings will continue until employee morale improves.” Although the airline had good intentions in staging the meetings, the people planning the strategy must have believed that morale could be purchased with a fancy meeting and legislated through threats and intimidation. Or is it possible the planners thought that fancy food and drink would give them permission to issue the threats?

“Managing” Morale

Technically, it’s not possible to manage morale because morale is the product or result of many other things. In other words, other things must happen before morale can occur. But it is possible to manage the many other things; so indirectly, so to speak, it is possible to manage morale.

Although there are perhaps dozens of things that contribute to a state or feeling of morale, a few most notable ones can help a manager create that climate. Research indicates that the number one management practice that can generate improved morale is effective communication. That’s no surprise, but keep in mind that few managers have been trained in communication, coaching, listening and leadership. Another element that drives morale is leadership effectiveness. The more effective the employees perceive their leaders to be, the higher morale they tend to have. A climate of mutual trust and respect where employees can count on their managers being fair, reasonable, predictable, approachable and credible can create feelings of morale. When managers organize their activities and prioritize their responsibilities so that tasks can be delegated to employees, those employees demonstrate higher levels of morale. A climate of empowerment where employees are given authority to make decisions and have influence over their work conditions can generate morale. A collaborative managerial style where managers take the time to ask employees for their input, suggestions and opinions can generate morale. And, of course, when employees believe they are fairly compensated they tend to have high feelings of morale.

So what is employee morale and how is it created? The answer is far more complicated than can be explained in one short article, but the answer is important enough for every manager to strive to understand.

Remember, a condition of high morale is not determined by what a few executives think is happening in the organization. Rather, a condition of high morale is determined by the collective perceptions, beliefs, experiences and feelings of a critical mass of the people who snake up the organization. When management and leadership practices value the people and act accordingly, then morale is possible.

The University of Cincinnati Medical Center’s mission statement is to “enhance and improve the quality of health for people everywhere by discovering, teaching and applying knowledge related to the health sciences.” This mission is accomplished “by providing high-quality educational programs, completing excellent research to improve health tomorrow, and applying knowledge today by providing the highest quality patient-centered care possible.”  The mission statement is dedicated to humanity so as to develop and provide innovative health care products that lead to healthier and more productive lives.  This was obviously demonstrated by Dr. Sabin’s work in developing the Sabin polio vaccine.

Dr. Sabin’s work is a constant reminder that through a committed and focused effort, and teamwork, great work can be accomplished. As you know, in the 1950’s polio was the most feared childhood disease, it spread during hot summer months when children crowded around public swimming pools.

Pfizer was also committed to “achieve and sustain our place as the world’s premier research-based health care company.”  With that as the mantra, the development of a polio vaccine became imperative and Pfizer played a key role in producing and distributing Dr. Jonas Salk’s killed-virus immunization.  Pfizer’s facility in Sandwich, England, started bulk production in 1958.  Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, Dr. Albert Sabin, assisted by a grant, had formulated his own “live-virus” polio vaccine.  The Type I Sabin Oral vaccine was developed.  The drug was a huge success; children quickly discovered that eating vaccine-laden sugar cubes was far more pleasant than under going injections.

Working with local health services, company representatives fanned out across America, organizing mass-immunization programs to administer Type I of the Sabin Oral vaccine.  This effort, promoted as S.O.S. – Sabin Oral Sundays – brought doctors, nurses, pharmacists, parents and civic groups together to immunize more than 50 million men, women and children in a mighty effort to eradicate this dreaded disease.  By enlisting the support of entire communities, from pharmacist to physician and from Boy Scout to banker to partner with Dr. Sabin and the University of Cincinnati, the eradication of polio was well within site.

Working together as team members, miracles happen.

The majestic trees found in the redwood forests of California have been on the earth for over 100 million years.   At one point, giant redwoods could be found almost everywhere in the world, but they are now found primarily in a narrow strip of land near the California coast.  The statistics describing the redwood tree are truly amazing:  These giants can live for upwards of 2000 years.  They can weigh up to of 500 tons.  They may grow to a height of over 350 feet and be over 25 feet in diameter.

You would think that the root system for trees of this type would go deep into the earth, providing the support it would need to weather high winds, lightning storms, and earthquakes.  You would be mistaken.  In my research on these trees, I was amazed to learn the root systems of these giants only go between eight and ten feet deep.  The roots of each tree spread out laterally and interlock with the root systems of surrounding trees, giving them the strength they need to stay upright over millennia.  And in addition to the joint strength of their roots these trees also release upwards of 500 gallons of water into the air each day to help create a moist fog that provides the other trees and plants in the forest the water they need to live.

CMOE defines teamwork as, “A group of people who combine their energy and efforts to achieve a common goal; A group of people who clearly understand the team’s goals and are committed to achieving those goals;  A group in which team members understand their roles and responsibilities.  Productive teams have an atmosphere of trust and are completely accountable for their results.  Each team member invests in the team through their actions and attitudes.  Team members are respectful, caring and cooperative.  Teams are the mechanism by which organizations can unlock world-class results.”

The redwoods are a prime example of effective teamwork.  In order to survive, withstanding adversities and inevitable hardships, all the redwoods must work together.  By sharing their main resource (water) with the other trees and plants in the forest, they are truly making and investment in the team, and through their teamwork, these trees have absolutely unlocked “world-class” results – they are breathtaking.

We can learn many lessons from nature.  How much stronger might we make our teams if we were to implement some of the same survival strategies found in the redwoods?  If each member of the team became more concerned about supporting the whole team, how much better could the whole team be?  What if the individual members of the team were more open in sharing their resources (their talents, ideas, and workload) with one another?  By making these decisions and becoming a little more like the redwoods, we can all help to create environments where teams can unlock their true potential.

Playing the piano is generally done on an individual basis with the occasional duet.  When I was 14 years old, I had the opportunity to learn a lot about teamwork from a piano playing experience.  I was invited to play in Pianorama, a concert put on in Nashville where piano players are invited and to perform and divided into groups based on their level of skill.  I happened to be put in the advanced group with 23 other participants.  We were then paired with another individual who we would play a duet with while sitting at the same piano.  In my group, there were twelve pairs playing the duet on twelve pianos simultaneously.  At one point, the duet splits into two parts, becoming a duet with six pianos (twelve participants) playing one part and six pianos (twelve participants) playing the other part.

When I look back at everything that had to come together for that concert to be a success, there is a lot that can be learned about teamwork.  We all came from different parts of the state and had different piano playing styles.  Because we came from all over the state, we could only practice together once a week for six weeks.  We did a lot of work as individuals to learn our parts and then as we met as a group put it all together.  We had to rely on and trust not only our partners to learn their parts, but everyone in the group.  In the end, we had the chance to play in front of 5,000 people and our performance was a huge success.

Here at CMOE we define teamwork as a group of people who:

• Combine their energy and efforts to achieve common goals.

• Are committed to achieving the team’s goals.

• Fulfill their roles and responsibilities.

• Have defined processes, procedures, and mechanisms that enable them to function at peak performance.

With Pianorama, our goal was defined and each of us knew exactly what we individually needed to do in order to accomplish the goal.  The more specific the goal and the assignments at the individual level are, the better the chance that everything will come together in the end.  As we become members of different teams, we need to understand that everyone will have different skills and personalities and that in order to work together as a team, we must learn how to capitalize on those differences.
After all the individual preparation was one and we put all the pieces together, the end result was a beautiful, harmonious song.  No one stood out any more than anyone else.  Cohesive teamwork occurs when each person recognizes that individual recognition and achievement is less rewarding than achieving the team’s overall goal.

The bottom line is, good teamwork makes beautiful music.

After five years separation, several former employees of a bankrupt company, which I was one of, decided to have a mini reunion.  The main purpose of getting together was to find out how our coworkers survived their major life changes.  We wanted to know if the others were happy in their new jobs or did they even have one?  Unfortunately, some of us had had more than a couple positions in the five years following the company’s closure.  We had worked together, more or less, for 20 years and we found that building relationships like we had was proving to be difficult to attain in our new positions.

What surprised me was the company’s failure was never discussed at this gathering.  In fact, no one seemed to remember the difficulties we experienced, such as crews meeting production costs, budgets, or wage issues or even what drove the company to bankruptcy.  What we remembered was the camaraderie and funny happenings.  We talked about how coworkers were often more like family than their real relatives.

Like most families, we had our share of strange, fanatical, and outlandish people.  I remember one year we had them all at once.  Yet, in the center of the turmoil was a core group of individuals everyone else depended upon.  It was guaranteed that these people would show up every day, ready to do their best, and answer any question that crossed their path.

What Makes an Organization Special

I guess what made the organization special in our memories was the fact that we were in it together.  Whether the times were good, bad, hard, or easy, we stuck together, trying to do the best as possible for our clients.  Oh yes, we had our idiosyncrasies that drove other team members crazy.  Occasionally, one of us would complain as if we hated our jobs, throw a tantrum, or cause an uproar.  But, we truly cared about each other and the business so we would over look the infringements.  In the end, we were the ones who mourned the death of the company.

The Leadership Team

Looking back on it now, I realize that this feeling was due to our leadership team.  They certainly weren’t the greatest or most objective of leaders.  They didn’t always listen or communicate their wants and needs clearly.  In fact, one supervisor often said about his team, “People are just no damn good.”  Not that he really believed it; I think he just liked to say it.  Their example set the tone for the organization.  Leaders didn’t dictate but were team members, who worked hard to make a successful business.  By the way, this leadership team wasn’t the cause of the bankruptcy, that’s another story.  Gross negligence comes to mind.

The Lesson

The lesson here is leadership isn’t about perfection but about intention.  It’s doing your best, continually trying to communicate with others, struggling to give your people the tools they need, and doing the right things (as much as possible).  What holds loyalty from core team members is the loyalty given by the team leaders.  Our leaders truly cared about their subordinates and the success both for each individual and the company.  Yes, we were disappointed when some leaders let us down.  However, collectively, the team stood for us and against outside forces intent on our failure.  As such we stood with them to fight those forces as well.  Sounds like a family, doesn’t it?

-Andrew Carnegie

Each of us is a member of a team – be it through family, sports, work, community, church, etc.  Within each of these teams, there is bound to be differences in opinions.  In fact, many times those differences can actually elevate the team to the next level of performance.  Disagreement and diversity are natural, and they can be quite productive.  How does one deal with these differences and resolve these issues?  The answers to these questions are vital to making the team work and function as a unit.

How does one go about creating a win-win solution, when a team is faced with various challenges?  How do team members go about defeating the challenge rather than defeating each other?  How do team members develop trust so that all members in the team can win?

1.  Recognize and acknowledge differences – this is, at times, difficult but extremely helpful to the team.  Issues, challenges, or conflicts must be recognized and discussed.  This recognition helps the team come together to find a mutually agreed upon solution or goal that will help each team member find greater commitment in working together.

2.  Gain common ground – how can you put the conflict in perspective with team goals?  Is everyone on the team committed to the team goals?  Are there issues that could prevent the goals from being attained?  If so, these matters need to be brought forward.

3.  Understand different opinions – step in another’s shoes to gain their insight.  This step is intended to gain insight, not necessarily to gain agreement.

4.  Work to overcome the issue – differences in opinion are acceptable and even welcome!  Remember, attack the issues and not the person.  As a team, what is the best solution that can help the team achieve its goals?  One should not have to compromise his or her values in reaching a solution.

5.  Develop a plan of action – outline what each member of the team will do, and be extremely specific.  This document will also serve as an accountability document.

6.  Follow up – put the plan into action, follow up, and revise as needed in order to optimize performance.

“No member of a crew is praised for the rugged individuality of his rowing.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Together we always achieve more.

I relate this story of the steering wheel because the world economy is going through some stormy waters.  Although the changes going on may turn out to be good in the long run, it is still difficult to stay the course in the middle of these “troubled waters”.  More than ever we need strong leaders to step up and take the “helm”, provide guidance, and “steer” their teams in the right direction.

A strong leader will effectively partner with each employee and provide direction, guidance, and coaching.  He or she can help team member adjust their personal courses and move into “smooth water”.

Providing constant support takes a lot of effort but it will be worth it in the long run. Consider the following points when helping your team stay afloat:

Communicating frequently with each team member

-Will reduce or eliminate fear of the unknown

-Encourages confidence in individual performance

Building understanding within your team

-Instills ownership in the tasks to ensure success

-Keeps each person focused on the goal

Encouraging respect between members

-Promotes synergy

-Supports a relaxed and engaging environment

Maintaining your integrity

-Retains trust in you and the organization high

-Inspires integrity from team members

“It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what is required.”

-Winston Churchill

I reference this as a “project,” because when I helped my boy select and purchase our Ant Farm, I had an underlying motive to observe the teamwork exhibited by these insects.  Ants are known for their teamwork, and used as an example in the book The Team Approach.  My intent was not just simply observing them, but documenting them for others to see.  Our period of observation lasted 14 days and below are a few observations of Ant teamwork in action:

1. Upon the ants being placed into the farm, they immediately began to work.  It was clear they had a combined objective which was to find a way to the light which represents the surface.  It was from the very beginning that teamwork to accomplish the task at hand is everyone’s responsibility.  The mission for the ants was to dig tunnels and from minute one they all appeared committed to this goal.
2. When one ant gets trapped due to a tunnel collapse, a small portion of the team stops working and focuses solely on freeing the pinned individual.  They value each team member and the contribution they make.  These ants seemed very aware of the needs of others and willingly offered help when the pressure was on.
3. They have clearly defined processes of where to dig tunnels and where to remove and place the excavated waste from the tunnel.  They even have a process on where to put deceased ants and ant waste.  Unfortunately, all of our Ants did not survive our observation period.
4. They project was running 24 hours a day.  Some ants sleep or rest, while others continued the work.  Once they have completed an element of their mission, they move onto the next one.  They work with an intensity any organizations team would want.
5. They work well across functions because of a shared vision to guide their actions.  If ants were digging from two separate points towards each other, they were always able to meet in the middle.
6. There is a strong sense of community and the ants appear to be connected and unified.  One of the ways ants communicate with each other is by touching each other’s Antenna.  In a strong community, community, communication is openly shared and people feel safe and secure to persist through challenges.

It makes the point that even lower life forms create organizations and team with roles, structures, and processes for their leaders and members.

– Team Team Approach

See this teamwork in action for yourself and watch the video clip below.  There are approximately 25 ants working together over a period of 14 day.  Through time lapse you can observe these 14 day in under 1 minute.

From the beginning of this project, it was clear that Teamwork in and of itself would be required between a father and his young curious son.   Aside from my boy moving the camera, moving the ant farm, turning off the computer, or turning on the lights, it was a success.

In many ways, ant colonies are similar to human organizations: they work, play, and keep pets.  Although small, they are incredibly strong.  Often ants will team up, two or more to drag a caterpillar that is several times their weight back to the colony. – Team Team Approach

An interesting fact:  It is estimated that there are 1,666,666 ants to every one human being

–Antworks, Fascinations, 2004