Hey, it's Rachel Cookee, your Modern Mentor. I'm the founder of Lead Above Noise where we help leaders activate performance and engagement without burning out. I've been speaking to leadership teams across industries about how to do this effectively and I would love to spend time with yours. Reach out anytime at rachel@leadabovenoise.com to inquire. Hey, before we jump into today's episode, can I ask a quick favor?
If you're a regular listener or even an occasional one and you have something to say about the show, I'd love it if you'd leave a quick rating or review in your podcast app. Kind of the best way to help the show find new listeners and couldn't we all use Boost at work? So one of my favorite things about hosting this show is getting to talk to real life listeners who reach out.
I've had half a dozen or so of these conversations recently, and do you wanna guess the one thing that has come up in every single one of them? It is morale, like it's low. In the past few weeks, I've talked to people working in government, in healthcare, in tech, in retail. And while it may show itself differently, reality is we are all struggling with a feeling of low morale these days. You know that blue melancholy feeling that we're all here, but we'd kind of rather be somewhere else.
And this is a serious issue like for our collective mental health as well as our productivity and our impact. Everything suffers when morale is low, and one of the challenges I'm seeing is too many companies or leaders thinking it's about perks or parties when it's really about creating a culture where everyone feels valued and connected and supported. On the best part, you don't need a huge budget or major initiatives to make this happen.
Sometimes the smallest shifts create the biggest impacts. I've had the pleasure of working with teams in many of these same industries and part of our work together has been to choose and implement low or no cost strategies designed to really turn things around. And today I'd love to share seven of my favorites with you just to get the creative juices flowing. So if your workplace is looking a little gray, let's see if we can infuse just a small dose of sunshine.
Here we go. Idea number one, build a team recognition wall. I've mentioned before that my dad loves like loves Hallmark movies and sometimes I sit with him and I fall under that syrupy spell. Often in these movies there's a scene where some good doer does something quietly in the background to make sure the thing happens. The couple finds their connection or the kid wins the prize. I love these characters, but I'm not one of them, and I think most of us aren't, and that's totally okay.
We wanna feel seen when we've done something good. We deserve to be seen. Whether the good we've done was big or small, we don't ever need to apologize for wanting to feel recognized for it. I talk to a lot of leaders who think that they need big budgets and overwrought programs to bring recognition to life, but really you don't need any of this.
Me, I like a recognition wall, can be physical or virtual, whatever works, but it's just a place where people are encouraged to post and read about the small victories their colleagues have shown. Not just the big shiny wins, but the small gestures of kindness or creativity. Just create a space for people to call each other out. Hey Jane, your insight in last week's meeting really shifted our thinking, or Amaya, your advice to me ahead of that sales meeting was a game changer.
Thank you. Small quick notes to see and be seen. You would be amazed at the shift this might deliver. Idea number two, walking one-on-one meetings because please, the sitting, the staring at screens, it's enough and sometimes it's necessary, but when it's not, slowly step away and do a walking meeting. I do these as often as possible and it changes my mood pretty dramatically. Take your one-on-one meeting outside, walk around the block pace in your backyard.
Just get moving. If you're remote, invite your colleague to step outside while on their side of the call. The movement shifts the energy, it makes the conversation feel lighter and it helps you both connect in a more natural way. You'd be surprised how much easier it is to have real meaningful conversations when you're not stuck in the same chair staring at the same screen. Idea three, experiment with ownership. You've heard me talk about meetings sucking our souls out through our eyeballs.
The struggle is real, but it doesn't have to be. If you know you're running a meeting that could be better in some way, like more efficient or more fun or more action oriented, why not give someone else a chance to run it next time? It's a great way to give yourself a little bit of breathing room while giving someone else the opportunity to be creative. Try rotating the responsibility of setting the agenda, facilitating the discussion, or experimenting with a new format.
Fresh perspectives bring fresh energy, and when people feel like they have ownership over how their time is spent, they bring more focus and engagement to the table. No one wants to sit through another boring meeting, but giving people the chance to shake things up. This is where some magic can happen. Idea four, create the help wanted and offered space. Asking for help can be hard.
People don't wanna seem like they're struggling or falling behind or adding to someone else's plate, but we can make it easier. I've seen some teams set up a standing optional meeting on the shared calendar. The rules are simple. If you're in a pickle or a bind or you're in a season of having insight or capacity to share, you show up. Someone in need presents their challenge and anyone present can offer to help in whatever way they can.
Most people leave the meeting as both provider and receiver of assistance in some way. It's an awesome tactic for building care and connection while keeping everyone on task and supported. The key is normalizing both asking for and offering help because when teams support each other, the whole organization moves forward. Idea five, create a quit list.
Most teams are great at adding new things, new projects, new meetings, new reports, but when was the last time you stopped doing something intentionally? Every quarter or month, sit down as a team and ask, what's taking up time without adding value? Maybe it's an old report that no one reads or a process that feels redundant or standing meeting that has lost its purpose. Cut. What isn't serving you?
Morale isn't just about doing more of what's good, it's about shutting down what's sucking your souls out. Idea six round robin, quick insights. A great team isn't just working together, they're learning together, but learning doesn't have to be formal. At the start of each team meeting, have everyone on the call share one thing they learned this week. It can be a work related insight, a tip from a podcast or even a random fun fact.
The goal is to create a culture of curiosity and sharing where people are constantly growing and staying engaged with new ideas. And finally, idea number seven, the ask Me Anything hub. We all, as they say, contain multitudes and we like to showcase what we know and love. I've seen teams successfully set up an a MA or ask me Anything hub where each member of the team lists the things they consider themselves somewhat expert on.
It doesn't mean you know everything, but just that you have some knowledge and you're happy to share. Like if it were me, I would list workshop and leader offsite design, weightlifting for Women, and obviously Golden Girls Trivia because sometimes it's about the work and sometimes it's about connecting with people who share your interests, even if they're quirky. Have everyone participating share their topics and just post it somewhere everyone can see.
You'd be amazed at the expertise that gets tapped on the new moments of connection that start to happen. I hope if morale is a challenge in your workplace, that at least one of these ideas sounds like something worth trying. Just remember, you don't need a massive budget or major overhaul. Just small increments of connection, of purpose, of shared experience can really change the game. If you try one or you have others to share, let me know. Shoot me a note anytime at rachel@leadabovenoise.com.
And if your organization or team needs a boost or it's a workshop, a keynote, or a pulse check, let's talk. You can find me@leadabovenoise.com. And if you're loving the show, don't forget to follow Modern Mentor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Modern Mentor is a quick and Dirty Tips podcast. It's audio engineered by Dan Fand. Our director of podcasts is Brandon Getches. Our podcast and advertising operations specialist is Morgan Christensen.
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