Speaker 1: Hey, it's Rachel Cookee, your Modern Mentor.
I'm the founder of Lead Above Noise
where we help leaders activate performance
and engagement without burning out.
I've been speaking to leadership teams across industries
about how to do this effectively
and I would love to spend time with yours.
Reach out anytime at rachel@leadabovenoise.com to inquire.
Hey, before we jump into today's episode,
can I ask a quick favor?
If you're a regular listener or even an occasional one
and you have something to say about the show,
I'd love it if you'd leave a quick rating
or review in your podcast app.
Kind of the best way to help the show find new listeners
and couldn't we all use Boost at work?
So one of my favorite things about hosting this show is
getting to talk to real life listeners who reach out.
I've had half a dozen or so of these conversations recently,
and do you wanna guess the one thing
that has come up in every single one of them?
It is morale, like it's low.
In the past few weeks, I've talked
to people working in government, in healthcare,
in tech, in retail.
And while it may show itself differently,
reality is we are all struggling with a feeling
of low morale these days.
You know that blue melancholy feeling that we're all here,
but we'd kind of rather be somewhere else.
And this is a serious issue like
for our collective mental health as well
as our productivity and our impact.
Everything suffers when morale is low,
and one of the challenges I'm seeing is too many companies
or leaders thinking it's about perks
or parties when it's really about creating a culture
where everyone feels valued and connected and supported.
On the best part, you don't need a huge budget
or major initiatives to make this happen.
Sometimes the smallest shifts create the biggest impacts.
I've had the pleasure of working with teams in many
of these same industries
and part of our work together has been to choose
and implement low
or no cost strategies designed to really turn things around.
And today I'd love to share seven of my favorites
with you just to get the creative juices flowing.
So if your workplace is looking a little gray,
let's see if we can infuse just a small dose of sunshine.
Here we go. Idea number one,
build a team recognition wall.
I've mentioned before that my dad loves like loves Hallmark
movies and sometimes I sit with him
and I fall under that syrupy spell.
Often in these movies there's a scene
where some good doer does something quietly in the
background to make sure the thing happens.
The couple finds their connection or the kid wins the prize.
I love these characters, but I'm not one of them,
and I think most of us aren't, and that's totally okay.
We wanna feel seen when we've done something good.
We deserve to be seen.
Whether the good we've done was big
or small, we don't ever need to apologize for wanting
to feel recognized for it.
I talk to a lot of leaders who think
that they need big budgets
and overwrought programs to bring recognition to life,
but really you don't need any of this.
Me, I like a recognition wall, can be physical
or virtual, whatever works,
but it's just a place where people are encouraged to post
and read about the small victories
their colleagues have shown.
Not just the big shiny wins,
but the small gestures of kindness or creativity.
Just create a space for people to call each other out.
Hey Jane, your insight in last week's meeting really shifted
our thinking, or Amaya, your advice to me ahead of
that sales meeting was a game changer.
Thank you. Small quick notes to see and be seen.
You would be amazed at the shift this might deliver.
Idea number two, walking one-on-one meetings
because please, the sitting, the staring at screens,
it's enough and sometimes it's necessary,
but when it's not, slowly step away
and do a walking meeting.
I do these as often as possible
and it changes my mood pretty dramatically.
Take your one-on-one meeting outside, walk
around the block pace in your backyard.
Just get moving. If you're remote, invite your colleague
to step outside while on their side of the call.
The movement shifts the energy,
it makes the conversation feel lighter
and it helps you both connect in a more natural way.
You'd be surprised how much easier it is
to have real meaningful conversations when you're not stuck
in the same chair staring at the same screen.
Idea three, experiment with ownership.
You've heard me talk about meetings sucking our souls
out through our eyeballs.
The struggle is real, but it doesn't have to be.
If you know you're running a meeting
that could be better in some way, like more efficient
or more fun or more action oriented,
why not give someone else a chance to run it next time?
It's a great way to give yourself a little bit
of breathing room while giving someone else the
opportunity to be creative.
Try rotating the responsibility of setting the agenda,
facilitating the discussion,
or experimenting with a new format.
Fresh perspectives bring fresh energy,
and when people feel like they have ownership over
how their time is spent, they bring more focus
and engagement to the table.
No one wants to sit through another boring meeting,
but giving people the chance to shake things up.
This is where some magic can happen.
Idea four, create the help wanted and offered space.
Asking for help can be hard.
People don't wanna seem like they're struggling
or falling behind or adding
to someone else's plate, but we can make it easier.
I've seen some teams set up a standing optional
meeting on the shared calendar.
The rules are simple. If you're in a pickle or a bind
or you're in a season of having insight
or capacity to share, you show up.
Someone in need presents their challenge
and anyone present can offer
to help in whatever way they can.
Most people leave the meeting as both provider
and receiver of assistance in some way.
It's an awesome tactic for building care
and connection while keeping everyone on task and supported.
The key is normalizing both asking for and offering help
because when teams support each other,
the whole organization moves forward.
Idea five, create a quit list.
Most teams are great at adding new things, new projects,
new meetings, new reports,
but when was the last time you stopped doing
something intentionally?
Every quarter or month, sit down as a team
and ask, what's taking up time without adding value?
Maybe it's an old report that no one reads
or a process that feels redundant
or standing meeting that has lost its purpose.
Cut. What isn't serving you?
Morale isn't just about doing more of what's good,
it's about shutting down what's sucking your souls out.
Idea six round robin, quick insights.
A great team isn't just working together,
they're learning together,
but learning doesn't have to be formal.
At the start of each team meeting,
have everyone on the call share one
thing they learned this week.
It can be a work related insight, a tip from a podcast
or even a random fun fact.
The goal is to create a culture of curiosity
and sharing where people are constantly growing
and staying engaged with new ideas.
And finally, idea number seven, the ask Me Anything hub.
We all, as they say, contain multitudes
and we like to showcase what we know and love.
I've seen teams successfully set up an a MA
or ask me Anything hub where each member of the team
lists the things they consider themselves
somewhat expert on.
It doesn't mean you know everything,
but just that you have some knowledge
and you're happy to share.
Like if it were me, I would list workshop
and leader offsite design, weightlifting for Women,
and obviously Golden Girls Trivia
because sometimes it's about the work
and sometimes it's about connecting with people
who share your interests, even if they're quirky.
Have everyone participating share their topics
and just post it somewhere everyone can see.
You'd be amazed at the expertise
that gets tapped on the new moments
of connection that start to happen.
I hope if morale is a challenge in your workplace,
that at least one
of these ideas sounds like something worth trying.
Just remember, you don't need a massive budget
or major overhaul.
Just small increments of connection, of purpose,
of shared experience can really change the game.
If you try one or you have others to share, let me know.
Shoot me a note anytime at rachel@leadabovenoise.com.
And if your organization or team needs a boost
or it's a workshop, a keynote, or a pulse check, let's talk.
You can find me@leadabovenoise.com.
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