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Lack of Honest Communication Top Morale-Buster
MENLO PARK, Calif. -- Employees and their managers agree on one thing: A lack of open, honest communication takes a heavy toll on morale.Fully 52% of executives and 30% of workers gave this response when surveyed recently by OfficeTeam about factors that negatively affect the workplace mood.Failing to recognize employee achievements was the second most common answer among both executives and workers.Next on the list of morale-busters is micromanaging employees, cited by about 17% of both groups. Excessive workload for extended periods was cited as a problem by 23% of employees but only 7% of executives.Respondents also were asked to name the best remedy for low morale. The top response, by both employees and executives, was unexpected rewards such as gift certificates or tickets to a sporting event.Other choices include holding team-building events or meetings, cited by 17% of executives and 13% of employees; providing monetary rewards for exceptional performance (13% and 33%); and additional days off (4% and 16%).The two groups differed widely on other morale-boosters; 7% of executives think recognition programs help, but none of the employees picked this concept. "Consistently sharing good -- and bad -- news with staff members builds an atmosphere of trust and can forestall potential miscommunication on business issues," said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. "People often fear the worst when they have limited information."Informal rewards also influence the mood in the office, Domeyer added. "Unsung heroes become another firm's rising stars if their good work is repeatedly overlooked," she said. "Rewards do not have to be monetary as long as they demonstrate to teams and individuals that their contributions are valued."But money also works, the survey found. Cash compensation and extra time off ranked second and third, respectively, among workers. Monetary rewards were the third most popular remedy for low morale among executives polled, after team-building events.OfficeTeam has more than 300 locations worldwide and offers online job search services.Visit OfficeTeam: www.officeteam.com"