As the 2010 Olympic games approach, we invite you to watch the games with a new perspective- as a leader.  The opening ceremonies are a great example of what it looks like when great resources-human capital- of different kinds, different backgrounds, and different origins come together to achieve a common goal.

Olympic coaches and successful leaders are both familiar with performance management.  As a leader, that is our job.  We are responsible for getting all the pieces of our organization to fit together cohesively for the success of everyone.  We are tasked with developing our resources-  our human capital- to the best of their ability, so they can compete in the marketplace for us.  Much like the Olympic athletes have undergone many years of training, we too, should put in the time for our employees to develop and to grow in their skills so they are at their best.

So let’s all watch the 2010 Olympic games with a new appreciation for what it takes to be a good leader!  To learn more about the 2010 Olympic games, visit the official website.

It’s the end of the calendar yer, the fiscal year, and the start of the holiday season.  Family is traveling in from out of town, gifts are being purchased, holiday parties are planned and attended by all.  It’s a busy time of year!

It’s also the time of giving.

We give to our churches, schools, loved ones, neighbors, etc.  Businesses usually take this time to thank customers, vendors, supporters, but we also need to take the time to thank the internal employees who drive the business strategies.  Phil Holberton, leadership and management expert, writes that as leaders, we need to be sure to take the time to thank these employees, not just give them a turkey or other material gift.  Read the full article here.

Genuine thank you’s help the employees feel valued, opens the lines of communication, and also contributes to the motivation for the team.  Holberton writes, “Simple gratitude is the three-in-one oil that lubricates the organizational structure and develops the path(s) of least resistance.”  In this past year, it’s been hard on individuals and businesses alike.  Recognizing the efforts made by your employees will go a long way in helping boost the morale of the employees who have been through the ups and downs with you this year.

This is not to say that leaders don’t feel stress though.  Holberton says leaders feel stress, but that, “We need to identify the possibility for anxiety and be forgiving to our colleagues and ourselves.”  This year, let’s all be more forgiving of each other and more thankful for the efforts of our employees.  We can all understand the outside stresses of family and how it can affect us at work.  With a little more understanding and a genuine thank you, we can all contribute to the success of  everyone.

What does your company do to thank your employees?  Are you trying anything new this year?

Want a sure-fire, low-cost way to raise morale at the office? Celebrate Halloween at the office this year.  It’s an inexpensive, fun way to build up the team morale, improve the atmosphere at work, and have some fun in the workplace.  F. John Reh writes on About.com with regard to this same topic.  Read the full article here.

As I was saying last week to the HR Managers at their RWHRMA October meeting, it doesn’t take much to improve morale and boost the energy of your employees.  To help celebrate the occasion, invite your employees to dress up and give an award for the best costume and another award for best decorated door or cubicle entrance.  The award can be a simple certificate printed off the computer.  How about a covered dish lunch where your staff brings in their best spooky treat?  Or a pumpkin carving contest?  You can trick or treat from office to office to see other team members that you ordinarily wouldn’t converse with on a daily basis.

All of these ideas are low or no- cost options to boost the level of fun in the workplace, build some team morale, and enjoy the holiday!

www.leadershiptrust.org

Note. This is Part 1 of a two-part discussion on how HR can make themselves a strategic partner to the business via compelling initiatives designed to lift morale, energize the workplace, and resultantly increase revenue.

Following are some low-cost/no-cost ways to up the morale during this down economy, thereby upping both productivity and the revenue. For remaining 22 fool-proof ideas along with 7 Mistakes Managers Make During a Downturn Economy, email info@leadershiptrust.org for the rest of the ways to rev up morale.

1. Get rid of  “subordinates” – call your employees Teammates instead.
2. TRANSPARENT, open and honest – how much? GIVING Bad news better than no news
3. Periodically hold a Q and A session with senior team members and invite everyone – decide meeting space based upon how many sign up to be there.
4. Consider Going Virtual on Fridays or whatever time frame your particular system can support.
5. Food always feels nurturing, so offer donuts or pastries or chips when there are gatherings.
6. Barter/trade when possible with vendors–clean trade/ zero funds
7. Tell those in customer service to say, “My pleasure” rather than “No problem.”
8. Good news notice board /compliments clients, photos having fun, newspaper clippings
9. Hiring – offer lower wage during probationary period. (Research Georgia Works Program)
10. Be on the lookout for articles with tips for specific departments and forward them on in order to position yourself as a strategic partner to the business.

Note. Be on the lookout for Part 2, which will address how HR team players can create buy-in once they have decided which of the 39 initiatives (of which 10 are presented here) they wish to introduce in their quest to make HR a strategic partner to the business.

www.leadershiptrust.org