Many mornings, we wake up, turn on the computer, and are faced with the latest seemingly dire economic news or news about turmoil in the world in general. Stocks are down. Unemployment is up. Wars of one kind or another are raging. The world as we knew it no longer exists. Is it any wonder that it is difficult to motivate our employees or keep our own morale up? What management and leadership training techniques could we use to counteract this negativity and increase our positive productivity?

According to the Harvard Business Review blog, someone finally has the right idea about what to do about this downward spiral. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is asking other American business leaders to join him in a campaign to restore confidence in the American economy. In addition to injecting Americans with caffeine, Schultz would like to give Americans a confidence jolt. He’s asking his fellow CEOs to join him in investing in such things as hiring, innovation, and infrastructure to help jumpstart the economy as well as people’s perceptions of the economy.

Schultz has the right idea to focus on confidence. Psychologists have known for years that positive thoughts generally result in positive actions. To transform the morale of your office, you would be wise to take that principle into consideration. We can talk about professionalism in the workplace as much as you want, but what we really need to talk about is enthusiasm in the workplace.

Management and Leadership Training Tips for Confidence & Enthusiasm

1. Instead of focusing on the negative, praise your employees for a job well done, and emphasize the positive aspects of the current business climate.

2. Create positive incentives for strong employee performance while simultaneously providing training opportunities for employees who still need to develop specific skills.

3. Offer seminars about how to increase professionalism in the workplace in order to get your employees excited about dressing for success.

4. Invest time in teambuilding. Get your employees better acquainted with each other and excited about working together to meet common business goals.

5. Don’t micromanage your employees. Give them space to be creative and to grow. Discuss shifting their job responsibilities to things that better suit their skills and interests if needed.

6. Get your employees excited about learning new skills, and provide a variety of training opportunities that will increase the human capitol in your office.

How do you improve morale in your office?