How to Keep Team Morale High Through Challenges
It’s easy to prioritise team morale and culture when everything is going well. When targets are being met, and everyone’s workloads feel manageable, investing in your team’s happiness feels like second nature.
But what about when things get tough or there’s uncertainty about something?
When deadlines are looming, targets aren’t being hit, and the stress levels start to climb, team morale is often the first thing to slip through the cracks. Many managers assume it’s not necessary, thinking, If everyone just keeps their head down and focuses, we’ll get through this.
But here’s the reality: if you’re feeling the pressure, so is your team. And if that pressure is met with increased demands and little support, it’s a recipe for burnout. Stress and burnout don’t just harm your team’s well-being - they lead to mistakes, missed deadlines, and a sharp drop in productivity.
Prioritising morale during hard times isn’t about being lenient or “soft.” It’s about keeping your team energised, focused, and resilient so they can navigate challenges effectively. Here's how to do it.
Acknowledge the Situation
One of the most demotivating things for employees is feeling like their struggles are being ignored. As a manager, it’s your responsibility to recognise the challenges and validate your team’s feelings.
Start by having an open conversation about the current situation. Let your team know you know the pressure they’re under and that you’re there to support them. You have to be transparent, even if it's just acknowledging that it's a hard time without giving all the details. Why? Because employees feel included and engaged rather than confused by the ambiguity.
Maintain Open Lines of Communication
When times are tough, employees often hesitate to speak up about their concerns, whether it’s workload, confusion over priorities, or general stress. Obviously, you yourself as a manager don't want to be overwhelmed by constant complaining but this can be monitored through regular check-ins, either 1-1 or as a group.
Use these to clarify priorities, address any roadblocks, and reassure employees that you’re available to help.
Celebrate Small Wins
Hard times often bring an intense focus on problems, making it easy to overlook progress and celebrations. Recognising and rewarding small victories - whether it’s completing a project milestone, solving a tricky issue, or simply getting through a tough week - can give your team a much-needed morale boost.
And you're probably thinking, "We don't have the time or resources right now to be doing extravagant celebrations". You can celebrate and applaud your employees without being extravagant or distracting. This is the reason why so many managers accidentally let morale slip because they go all or nothing.
A quick shoutout in a team meeting or a simple thank-you email can go a long way in reminding employees their efforts are valued. Does something pass like an end-of-quarter celebration or someone hitting a big milestone? Celebrate it later on.
Be Flexible Where You Can
Stressful periods often come with increased demands, but piling on strict expectations can make employees feel boxed in and actually have the opposite effect.
Where possible, give your team some breathing room.
Could deadlines be staggered or adjusted slightly? Are there opportunities to delegate less urgent tasks? Can you allow more autonomy over how and when work gets done? Is it the best idea to make all your employees come to the office every day just because it's a stressful period?
Because if 73% of employees already cite workload as a cause of stress (Champion Health), imagine how heightened that is in particularly stressful times?
Flexibility shows your team you trust them, and it gives them the space they need to manage their workloads without feeling overwhelmed.
Encourage breaks
When things get hectic, it’s tempting to power through and work longer hours. But that approach can quickly lead to exhaustion and declining performance.
Encourage your team to take their lunch breaks and maybe short breaks at other times of the day. It could be a quick walk, a coffee break, or simply stepping away from their desks to chat for 2 minutes. This may sound unnecessary but as a manager, you should make it your sole effort to:
Manage the problem
Manage your employees to not stress about the problem
Which means they don't need to feel the gravity of the situation. Yes, they may know they have to get their head down, but not to the point where they don't give their minds a break.
Give Them a Sense of Purpose
In hard times, it’s easy for employees to lose sight of the bigger picture.
Remind your team of the “why” behind their work. How does their effort contribute to the organisation’s success, help customers, or work towards a greater purpose?
In turbulent times, say a tricky quarter, it's easy to get in the mindset of working for working sake and not remembering why and what you're working towards. Reminding your team of that not only gives them sustainable motivation but also a sense of teamwork.
Allow Moments of Fun
Hard times stereotypically result in dull, moody and negative office atmospheres... This is usually because managers see fun as a reward for success, not as something you can enjoy when you haven't earned it.
But whilst laughter might not solve the problems, it can give some much-needed positivity to help employees push through. So if a team member is having reasonable moments of conversation and laughter, don't interrupt. Because once you're out of that position, your employees will base their emotions on the culture during the hard times.
If they can turn around and say, "We went through a stressful time but my manager motivated us and helped us smile through it", you've won more loyalty than being a tyrant.
Lead with Empathy
If you want high morale but have no empathy, you will never get there.
First things first, your employees are human. Work will affect them, as well as their own stresses and challenges outside of work. So as you're talking to them, acknowledge that.
And by the way, showing understanding and compassion doesn’t mean lowering expectations - it means creating an environment where employees feel supported and motivated to meet them. Hard times will always test the resilience of your team. But as a manager, how you respond to those challenges will set the tone for your team’s performance and morale.
- Written by Oliver Howson
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