Julie Bartkus

Would you like to boost morale without spending a buck?

I've interviewed thousands of child care professionals and have learned what motivates them to stay in the profession, what motivates them to excel in the profession, and on the other hand, why they leave their places of employment and sometimes, the profession.

Today I'm sharing with you eleven strategies that you can implement immediately to help you boost staff morale (without spending a buck!).

1) Unite your team through establishing a common goal that can be worked on and obtained in the next several months. Set a time frame for this goal and get everyone excited about accomplishing it. Break the goal down into small achievable steps and celebrate when small accomplishments are made.

2) Close all communication gaps. Make sure staff are aware of the things they need to know in order to perform their jobs successfully - such as a co-worker or child calling in sick or a change in procedures.

3) Break down communication barriers (break the gossip chain -- morale will never be high if gossip and other destructive communication patterns persist!).

4) Follow through on your commitments and promises.

5) Be consistent in modeling and enforcing policies and procedures.

6) Visit classrooms and make note of the wonderful things team members are implementing. Save criticisms for one-on-one meetings.

7) Greet staff in the morning.

8) Integrate new staff members effectively. Never let people wonder: who is "this new person?"

9) Appreciate and acknowledge team members when they exhibit the behaviors you would like them to display more often.

10) Train your team on how to resolve conflicts and communicate constructively. Role-play or analyze case scenarios as a team.

11) Facilitate team-building activities at your staff meetings. (And have staff meetings on a consistent basis.)

© 2001-2006 Julie Bartkus. All Rights Reserved. Julie Bartkus is an author, speaker, consultant and coach.

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