Home Pastors Articles for Pastors 12 Ways to Build Staff Morale

12 Ways to Build Staff Morale

3) Demonstrate genuine love, kindness and respect.

From the top leadership to the newest staff member, the expression of love, kindness and respect is core to high morale. Few things will lift morale like giving the benefit of the doubt when there’s a question, forgiving quickly and intentional kindness under pressure.

4) Practice honest conversations and make tough decisions.

Many church teams have been taken out by the proverbial elephant in the room. Sometimes tough decisions are required. Teams that will not address the issues will suffer in both joy and productivity.

5) Stop chasing fair, but do cultivate a sense of reasonable.

Life is not fair, and if you try to do everything the same for every staff member, you are chasing an unrealistic expectation. However, there is an intuitive sense of what is reasonable. This means there is no playing favorites and everyone on the team is highly valued and cared for.

6) Create a sense of community and belonging.

Some churches like to use the word family for their staff, and others don’t. But all will benefit by cultivating a sense of genuine community, where it’s not just co-workers but brothers and sisters in Christ. Things like worship, prayer and communion together make a big difference. Share burdens and comfort in difficult times. (Good old-fashioned fun is also integral to a sense of community.)

7) Confront problems and unacceptable behavior.

Few things discourage staff and lower morale more than if the primary leaders won’t deal with problems and deliver solutions. Whether it’s unacceptable behavior in staff or systems in the church that don’t work, etc., problems cannot be left untended. Even if you can’t fully solve something immediately, the staff need to know you acknowledge it and are working on it.

8) Outlaw boring and unproductive meetings.

It’s often the “little” things that really bug staff and get them discouraged. Poorly organized and poorly led meetings that ramble on without productive results drive good staff members nuts. Start with a clear written agenda, get the right people in the room, make assignments clear and follow up.

9) Practice consistent and appropriate compensation.

Compensation is one of the most complex subjects in the church. Doing it right requires consistent diligence. It’s essential to conduct salary surveys, utilize a clear and written structure approved by your board, and not make decisions driven by emotion or favoritism. It can be tough to navigate between generosity and prudence, but both sides are critical to keeping morale strong.