We are open for business; our guests are excited to get back to doing the things they love, and our team members are working their hardest to adhere to all the new rules in place to keep everyone safe.
So, how do we keep team morale up in these difficult times? The answer: connection and recognition.
Here are some ideas for how you can connect and recognize – pandemic style!
Communicate with passion and innovation:
- Meaningful updates about how business is doing from the GM
- Thank you notes handwritten by the GM or other executive team members
- Virtual messages – use that technology. YouTube skits, zoom coffee breaks, create a virtual team environment using Slack or other platform and post those messages.
Dust off the team member engagement survey
Make it digital and no more than five questions so team members can access it easily on their phones or tablets. Ask your team members what they need right now and be ready to listen and act.
Recognize instantly
Don’t wait for the monthly spotlight. Consider an online platform such as Slack messaging or go big and look at a platform like Assembly or Preciate; which have free and low-cost options for organization big and small. Create a #you-are-awesome channel with Slack messaging or run #you-are-awesome in an email thread.
Social distanced fun
Plan a virtual scavenger hunt, hold a virtual dog or cat show, or create a virtual story time. Publish your core values as individual words, ask teams to create a story with them and see what happens.
Healthy competitions
Get those steps in, walkathons, how much water can you drink – these are great low-cost competitions that can keep your team members healthy while increasing engagement. Tie the competition to information from your benefit plans to promote stress, anxiety, and depression reduction, as well as increase healthy habits in the workplace and at home.
No matter what idea you come up with, your teams will be grateful for the chance to focus on something other than the pandemic.
