Build a morale team
For the last nine months, a staff-led task force has been in charge of boosting the positive vibes in the dining department at The University of Vermont Health Network Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Their mission is to brainstorm and kick-start initiatives that help create a better workplace. The team developed an employee of the month program, setting the criteria themselves, and even published a dining yearbook. “To come from them, rather than being force fed is crucial,” says Shey Schnell, director of the hospital’s food and nutrition services.
Employees also fuel another one the department’s recognition programs. Staff members give their peers a shoutout with “Wow Cards” written on carbon copy paper. The recipient of the card can take the top half for $1.50 in credit at the cafeteria, and management posts the other half of the paper on a wall. Every quarter, all the cards are put in a drawing for prizes, such as movie tickets. “Not only do we award the person who did the good deed, but we recognize the person who spoke up and recognized it,” Schnell says. The program has taken off, and is now adopted throughout the hospital.
More informally, managers begin each shift by asking staff to verbally share peer-to-peer accolades to set the tone of each shift. “Staff can be leaders, too,” Schnell says. “Even in recognition, it can come down to a respectful tone and honestly seeking solutions. We’re validating our employees’ needs and their concerns.”