Working Wednesday: Department of Homeland Security Morale Low

The employees' morale at the Department of Homeland Security was recently surveyed and it ranked 31 out of 33 large federal agencies. A congressional hearing was called to find out what were the problems and what type of solutions would be suggested. No employees were asked to testify, only the top Human Resources officer, representing management. That position, the top H.R. manager, has changed 8 times in less than 9 years.

A representative from SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) also spoke in front of the sub-committee. SHRM suggested strong leadership which would include developing/training good managers, getting employees involved, and establishing a clear vision.

Small businesses, these lessons apply to you not just large employers.
1. Do you manage by one-on-one conversations with employees or just by discussion with those that report directly to you?

2. Do you have high turn over? If yes, DON'T RATIONALIZE. Be honest and figure it out. Others have and are telling their friends and neighbors and.....

3. Does everyone know why they come to work? What contribution they make? Why it is important?
The last time they heard and/or given a demonstration of "thank you" for that contribution?

4. I had a mentor once who said, "You always train your replacement." What in-house training do you have going on to keep your managers sharp, their assistants (replacements) in training, and employees engaged in groups to improve their contributions as it pertains to the overall mission of the company?

5. When was the last time you reviewed your vision statement, mission statement, business plan? Before the financial crash? During? Been awhile? Have you gotten leaner, more efficient, expanded to new markets? Did you then revise the vision/mission statements to reflect that? If so, did you share those changes with your employees? How has that affected your strategy? Did you share that too? If not, how are they supposed to be effective?

A small business really relies on the feeling of a team environment. Find those you really trust, give them responsibility, let them include others, and set aside some time on the clock for this group to work solutions out. With morale high, production will be high and results will right where you need them to be.