Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your Modern mentor.

I'm the founder of Lead Above Noise, where we help leaders rethink how the work gets done so that it becomes regenerative, so that the ways in which we're working don't just drive results, but they also amplify engagement and wellbeing.

If your organization is ready to build new ways into the work, rather than just bolting programs onto it, learn more about my speaking workshops and coaching programs@leadabovenoise.com.

Okay, onto you today.

So I recently connected with somebody new to me.

Let's call him Tom.

I had reached out to Tom because I'd heard him speak about something really interesting, and I wanted to learn more from him, and I asked that in addition to his free advice and genius, he come to our meeting with a gnarly leadership challenge that I could weigh in on in return.

And so here's what he brought.

See, Tom leads a small business that like many others these days is sitting on the struggle bus.

Their sales are down, and as a result, he is seeing employee morale shoot down as well.

And the struggle is real.

And what Tom wanted to know was how can we fix a morale problem?

While the business problem remains unsolved in the moment, I feel like I gave him some tips that were good, but on reflection, I think I had more to say.

And I don't think Tom is likely to be the only leader sitting with this challenge.

So thank you, Tom, but not really Tom, for the inspiration for today's episode on how to solve our morale challenge during a tricky business season.

So I'm gonna get to tactics in a minute, but they're all grounded in a really important reframe of the problem that I would like to suggest.

Rather than asking, how do I fix a morale problem while the business is struggling?

I think a better question is, how do I find ways to enhance morale that might also help me improve the business?

Two birds, one stone.

So let's go ahead and dive in.

I've got four ideas I'd love to share with anyone facing a challenge like this one.

The first is to invite them into the problem solving.

As Tom explained to me, solving for the business dips is his problem and no one else's.

And by the letter of the law, that may be true, but being accountable to a problem doesn't have to mean you are the one solving it alone.

And here's a fun secret.

People love solving problems.

We love it.

And there's a huge difference between inviting people into the solutioning conversation and shifting the responsibility onto their shoulders, being able to say, Hey, team, here's what's happening in the business.

We all know it, and I'm here to lead the charge in solving it.

But you know what would really help?

Your ideas, your insights and opinions, your expertise and your ability to represent the voice of the customer.

You see and hear things that I don't, and your ideas are really valuable to me.

When we feel seen and appreciated, our morale climbs, and Tom, well, he gets a bunch of potential new ideas to try.

It's likely that you are sitting on a gold mine of insight.

Next, use slack to grow.

That's lowercase slack.

I don't mean the collaboration tool, but I mean the literal slack in your system.

The reality is when business slows, while the senior most leader may feel more pressure than ever, often our teams tend to see a little bit more breathing room in their days.

So use that to your advantage and to theirs.

Ask everyone to carve out just one hour per week to learn something, to read part of a book, or listen to a podcast, to read an article or attend a virtual conference.

There are lots of ways to do this, but ask them to do it in service of serving the business and let them define what they'd like to tackle.

Invite them to cast a wide net.

You never know where a new idea will strike, whether it's AI or customer acquisition strategies or communication.

Whatever they choose to learn has the potential to be useful.

Then bring everyone together for a quick share.

Who knows what magical chemistry between their disparate insights might catalyze something fresh and new.

Learning and development is a tried and true strategy for driving engagement and morale up.

So using it with specificity, inviting them to learn for a particular purpose, it makes it a win-win.

Oh, and the bonus here, when business does eventually pick back up, your team is smarter and stronger because they've learned.

So boom.

Next up, build a networking machine.

So one of my favorite things to do is host leadership round tables.

When I do, I always specify a topic, but never an industry.

And that's by design.

Because too often we believe that our company or industry is a snowflake, when really there is so much more that is similar across industries than is different.

And I love getting to bring leaders together from different worlds to share their common challenges.

You wouldn't believe how often a no-brainer idea in healthcare has never been thought of before in retail.

Oh, and also human connection, huge driver of morale.

So my third suggestion is to create your own version of this experience.

Call it a round table, call it a summit.

Call it whatever suits your fancy, but pull together a group of leaders from companies in non-competing industries that are likely facing a similar business reality, and invite a few members of your team to sit in and participate.

Start with some ground rules about confidentiality, no trade secrets, lots of respect and all that.

And then toss out some great questions.

What are you seeing?

What have you tried in your business?

What's worked?

What hasn't?

What's next?

You never know how your ideas will build on each other's all while expanding your networks and making new connections.

And finally, bring some customer voices front and center.

One of the most powerful levers that we can pull to bump employee morale up.

It's pulling them back to purpose.

Not an existential one, but just a reminder of how their work has impacted people's actual real lives.

So reach out to some past or present customers.

Ask them to share a story about how the product or service that you offer is touching their lives.

Ask them which pieces have served them most and how, and also ask what they wish for.

Next.

This does a couple of things for you.

These happy stories fuel the fire of morale because feeling connected to someone else's outcomes, it moves our spirits, but also it reminds you about which slices or elements of your product or service are most valued, and their wishlists may offer insights into potential new features or bundles or delivery modes the market might be ready for.

And this insight might be the one that moves you towards solving for the slump.

These moves aren't quick fixes or magic bullets.

I don't really trade in those.

No, these suggestions are what leadership looks like when you care about both profit and people.

Morale doesn't have to follow a business fix.

If designed well, it can actually be your rocket fuel for growth.

I hope something in this episode inspired a new action you might take today.

If it did, I would love to hear about it.

Shoot me a note at rachel@leadabovenoise.com and tell me what you're trying.

You can follow Modern Mentor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcast.

Thanks so much for listening and have a successful week.

Modern Mentor is a quick and Dirty Tips podcast.

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