Monday, April 29, 2013
Brilliant Manoeuvre Morale is critical, but we must also acknowledge and understand all of the components that go into forging an effective organization.
Discussion The subject of morale often comes up in my work with clients. Unfortunately, there is a very superficial understanding of the concept. As I've said before, morale is the willingness to fight and persevere, to make sacrifices to achieve victory or one's corporate aims. People often confuse morale with other the other main components of organizational dynamics, such as mood, cohesion, and unity of purpose. They all go together, but are all different in focus and purpose. When we add the effects of leadership, we can get a much fuller picture of how to build an effective organization that can perform beyond expectations.
Questions You can assess the morale in your organization through the following questions:
- Do people have hope of better days or constant improvement? Are they optimistic or pessimistic?
- Are your people making plans with themselves in the picture, or are they trying to abandon ship?
- Do they waste a lot of time or do they focus on ways to continually improve the organization and its performance?
Richard Martin is a consultant, speaker, and executive coach. He brings his military and business leadership and management experience to bear for executives and organizations seeking to exploit change, maximize opportunity, and minimize risk. © 2013 Richard Martin. Reproduction and quotes are permitted with proper attribution.