Download Morale - Kansas State University

Elevate Advisor Morale
An exploration of the causes of low
morale and suggestions for improvement
NACADA 2013
Robert F. Pettay, Kansas State University
([email protected])
Donna Menke, Kansas State University
([email protected])
ABSTRACT
Advisor Morale is a hot topic for advising administrators, finding ways to
improve morale can benefit administrators and advisors alike. This
presentation seeks to explain the common causes of employee morale as
described in the scholarly literature. By knowing the causes of low morale,
administrators can then begin to improve conditions for advisors. After a brief
review of the literature describing employee morale and factors that impact it,
participants will have the opportunity to discuss the specific issues that affect
their units, leading into a discussion on strategies to improve morale among
academic advisors. Proven strategies by experts will be introduced to
participants. Also discussed will be the relationship between job satisfaction
and employee morale.
Objectives for session
-Define concept of morale
-Discuss issues related to morale
- Examine morale and advising
-Discuss strategies to improve advisor
morale
Morale – The confidence, enthusiasm, and discipline
of a person or group at a particular time
A state of individual psychological well-being based
upon a sense of confidence and usefulness and
purpose
If morale is low, participation is likely to be
limited to doing what’s required or otherwise
expected. Conversely, high morale suggest that
individuals will participate with enthusiasm and
a sense of commitment
Model of Morale
Leadership determines overall “culture” and values for the organization, based on
the leadership’s own life experience, values, beliefs, and personalities and the
needs of the organization
Culture drives “how things are done”, including Human Resource policies and
practices; who is selected for key positions; management style of key players
and how they treat employees
Employees are affected by HR policies, procedures, management style and many other
aspects of the overall culture, as part of daily work life. They experience psychological
reactions to the above, based on their own personality, ect… The combined net result of
their reactions is their individual morale, which affects is also influenced by and merges
with, the morale of the group to form the group morale
In some organizations, morale is measured and analyzed. Results are fed back to
everyone from senior management to non-management employees. Adjustments to HR
practices and procedures are made, along with changes in personnel who are identified
as being a source of lower morale. Sometimes the results cause leadership to shift
thinking, beliefs, and practices.
How does high morale feel?
- Esprit de corps
- High self-esteem
- Positive attitude
- Determination
- Cheerfulness
- Meaningful purpose
- Confidence
- Mutual support
- Generosity
- Loyalty
- Hope
A high morale employee will experience less stress
than a low morale employee, leading to less
absenteeism and sick days; will be more engaged,
willing to work harder, be more committed to the
organization’s goals, and be a stronger advocate for
the organization.
Whitehall II Study (Kivimaki, et al., 2005)
6442 individuals (UK)
Examined justice at work with 5 item questionnaire examining if employee had
encountered unfair criticism, received consistent and sufficient information with
which to do job, felt the supervisor listened to their problems, and whether they
received praise for a job well done. Job strain was measured be examining
demands of job and the amount of control the employee experienced on the job
- High justice was associated with a 30% lower risk of Coronary Heart Disease
compared to medium and low justice groups
- Job strain and effort-reward imbalance were associated with higher Coronary
Heart Disease, but not in high justice group.
- Evidence suggests a mitigating or protective effort of justice at work taking place
Factors which affect everyone’s morale
• Individual job and organization image
• Compensation and benefits
• Career and development
• Job security
• Communications
• Productivity
• Working conditions
• Management and supervision
• Decision making
High worker morale has been associated
with workplace stability, supportive
managers and clear roles.
Low worker morale has been associated
with insufficient staffing levels, high
levels of verbal abuse, risk of violence,
and no voice in the workplace (Bowers,
Allan, Simpson, Jones, and Whittington,
2009)
What Matters Most to You?
What Matters Most to You
Assign a number to each item listed in terms of what motivates them and keeps their morale
consistently high, using a scale from 1(lowest) to 4 (highest). After rating all, pick your top three, then
identify the single most important morale booster.
4 3 2 1 a. My manager showing care and concern for me as a person
4 3 2 1 b. Good working relationship with my manager
4 3 2 1 c. Feeling empowered
4 3 2 1 d. Manager’s ability to make decisions
4 3 2 1 e. Manager who walks the talk
4 3 2 1 f. Recognition of my efforts
4 3 2 1 g. Delegation of responsibility to me
4 3 2 1 h. Being promoted
4 3 2 1 i. Customer contact
4 3 2 1 j. Compensation
4 3 2 1 k. Getting along with others
4 3 2 1 l. Honest praise
4 3 2 1 m. Helpful and corrective feedback
4 3 2 1 n. Coaching
4 3 2 1 o. The result of a job well done
4 3 2 1 p. Attending social functions with team members
4 3 2 1 q. Being given clear objectives
4 3 2 1 r. Job security
Academic Advising
Academic advising, based in the teaching and
learning mission of higher education, is a series of
intentional interactions with a curriculum, a
pedagogy, and a set of student learning outcomes.
Academic advising synthesizes and contextualizes
students’ educational experiences within the
frameworks of their aspirations, abilities and lives to
extend learning beyond campus boundaries and
timeframes.
Define Morale in advising?
• What the literature says
• Morale and student affairs professionals
• Job satisfaction and advisors
(Lynch 2001)
• Direct service workload 3.84 3.86 3.74
• Advising –related activity workload 3.67 3.53
3.56
• Extent advisor opinions considered 2.69
2.90 2.75
)
Epps, 2002
Like about job
Dislike about job
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Working with students
Solving problems
Contact with others
Work situation
Variety of tasks
Paperwork
Scheduling
Committee work
Organizational structure
High volume work load
Student Responsibility (or
lack thereof)
• Dislike job
The expectations, perceptions, and attitudes of
workers are believe to either encourage or
inhibit the adoption of best practices,
strengthen or weaken fidelity to established
protocols, support or attenuate positive
relationships between providers and
consumers, and increase or decrease the
availability, responsiveness and continuity of
services provided by the organization. (Glisson
et al., 2008)
Consequences of low morale in advising
-
Missed work days
Conflicts with co-workers and students
Negative attitude
Decreased productivity
Complaining and complaints
Low empathy
Poor participation in training
Psychological Success Model (Hall, 2002)
Goals/Effort
Objective
Success
Identity Change
Subjective
(Psychological)
Success
Calling – when a person experiences work as more than a job or
career. The person approaches work with a subjective, self-relevant
view of the meaning of career activities (Dobrow, 2004)
Doing work out of a strong sense of inner direction
Calling is a highly individual, subjective experience
Four qualities of a calling
1) Each person’s calling is unique
2) A calling involves preconditions such as talent, an openness to
discovering one’s calling
3) A calling provides great energy, enjoyment and vitality to one’s
efforts
4) One’s calling is not easy to discover, it requires much reflection,
dialogue with others, trial activities and persistence (Novak, 1996)
Calling
Please take a moment to think about what makes your life important to you. Please respond to the following
statements as truthfully and accurately as you can, and also please remember that these are very subjective
questions and there are no right or wrong answers. Please answer according to the scale below:
Absolutely untrue Mostly untrue
1
2
Somewhat untrue Can’t Say Somewhat true Mostly true
3
4
5
6
____ I understand my life’s meaning
____ I am looking for something that makes my life feel meaningful
____ I am always looking to find my life’s purpose
____ My life has a clear sense of purpose
____ I have a good sense of what makes my life meaningful
____ I have discovered a satisfying life purpose
____ I am always searching for something that makes my life feel significant
____ I am seeking a purpose or mission for my life
____ My life has no clear purpose
____ I am searching for meaning in my life
Presence of Calling – 1, 4, 5, 6, & 9 (reverse coded)
Searching for Calling – 2, 3, 7,8, & 10
(Steger, 2006)
Absolutely true
7
The social context created by an organization
includes interpersonal relationships, social norms,
behavioral expectations, individual perceptions,
attitudes and other psychological factors that govern
how organizational members approach their work,
interact with others, interpret their work environment,
collaborate with members, and feel about their jobs.
An organizations culture, climate, structure and domain
are important because they create a social context that
invites or rejects innovation, complements or inhibits
the activities required for success, and sustains or
alters adherence to the protocols that compose the
organizations core mission
Culture – the way things are done in an organization
Climate – the way people perceive their work
environment
Almost everything that happens to a human
being at work can affect his or her experience of
“well-being” or “morale” there, positively,
negatively or in a way which has little lasting
impact. This being so, we need to examine
every aspect of work life, as broadly as we can,
in order to reach the drivers of morale amongst
a workforce, and measure them. (Bowles &
Cooper, 2009)
Typical Morale Level- People are happiest on the job when they are hired and when they
are ready to retire- what about in-between?
6
Morale Level
5
4
3
2
1
0
Early Years
Early Mid
Late Mid Years
Pre-Retirement
Morale
1. Morale provides a competitive edge in good and bad times
2. High morale supports the implementation of organizational strategies
3. The more process gives the employee a voice
4. High morale helps an organization attract and retain talented people
5. High morale makes the workplace easier to manage and increases productivity
6. High morale reduces workplace accidents, absenteeism, workplace stress,
improves employee health, and reduces sick days taken
7. High morale, driven by culture, also supports the culture
8. Morale is a leading indicator and allows organizations to prevent potential
negative situations
9. The morale process is one of the most democratic activities in which an
organization can participate. (Bowles & Cooper, 2009)
The Four Ways Managers Show They Care
- They listen
- Makes employees feel important and valued
- Build confidence because employees feel heard
- Model good communication skills
- Make employees feel worthy and respected
- They reward, recognize, and praise
- They give and appreciate honest feedback
- They instill confidence
Affordable Ways to Reward, Recognize, and
Praise Employees
- Time off
- Recognition items
- Parties and celebrations
- Praise – don’t wait
Get “Up and Go” Model for Feedback
Get…
Understand others
- recognize how each employee prefers to receive feedback
- create a safe environment for fostering feedback
- adjust your feedback to the person you are addressing
Plan the appropriate message for your feedback
- It’s not just what you say, but how
- Think before you speak
- Separate facts from feelings
Give helpful and constructive feedback in a timely manner
- be empathetic and sensitive
- watch your nonverbal communication and body language
Obtain feedback willingly and with appreciation
- show that your genuinely thankful and appreciative
- be open-minded
12 Smart questions to ask your employees
1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best everyday?
4. In the last 7 days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10.Do I have a best friend at work?
11.In the last 6 months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
12.This last year, have I had opportunities to learn and grow?
Morale has a huge impact on, and is a proven driver of, organizational
performance
- At both the individual and group level
- In both private and public sector organizations
- From financial to customer satisfaction measures
- From organizational effectiveness to productivity, to employee health
Morale touches and affects the most significant performance aspects of
every type of organization; a high or low morale level helps empower or
disable the organization’s ability to achieve its goals.
Have a great conference
Thank you