Morale and motivation are two of the cornerstones of any successful business and accompanying work environment. Simple definitions of both of these terms are as follows:

Morale: the degree of confidence or optimism of a person or group.

Motivation: the reason or inspiration for a course of action.

In the context of the workplace, motivation can be further defined as the employee's intrinsic level of enthusiasm and drive to accomplish a job or task. As stated on humanresources.about.com, "Motivating employees about work is the combination of fulfilling the employee's needs and expectations from work and workplace factors that enable employee motivation... "

As a bookend of sorts to the above, employee and workplace morale can be viewed thusly (courtesy of http://www.rahulgladwin.com): "Morale is defined as the satisfaction level of employees in relation to their workplace. It is how employees see their jobs, their attitudes to their work environment, and their honest cooperation toward the progress of the entire company. Morale also indicates the happiness level of employees within a company. It is also a condition in which long-term company goals are merged with individualized goals. Morale and productivity are directly proportional, that is, if morale is high, productivity is also high."

So, it would seem highly logical to create an environment where these attributes are facilitated, encouraged and sustained, right? There is a direct correlation between motivation, morale and the "bottom line"; a successful business likely has an emphasis on employee motivation and morale. But there is more to a successful business than recognizing the importance and effects of motivation and morale amongst staff. True long term success can be fostered when an employer treats both motivation and morale as attributes that are necessary to building a partnership between themselves and their employees.

One of the most effective methods of building morale and motivation in the workplace is to lead by example - demonstrating your commitment to the idea that your business and its success are built on a partnership between you and your staff. Encourage staff to share experiences and knowledge, allow staff across the company to problem solve, share ideas and innovate, encourage communication and ensure that there is a forum for discussion and training - all of these are great ways to boost morale and build motivation. To top all of this off, make sure that you are sharing the rewards of your business with those who are making it work and when doing so, emphasize the fact that the rewards are the end result of successful motivation, high morale and working partnerships.

How can you actually tell if all of your partnerships and morale boosting activities are actually paying any kind of measurable dividends? When employers and staff are motivated and morale is high, the differences can be seen all over the workplace: less tension, less conflict, noticeable increases in goodwill, co-operation and camaraderie, an upswing in participation and a greater understanding and respect for what each other brings to the company or organization.

Maintaining morale and motivation in the workplace is not an easy task. By fully understanding the relationship between morale and motivation and in turn how both attribute to building a successful business or company, it is possible to create an environment in which employee satisfaction is supported and embraced as not only an end result of high morale and motivation, but also as a viable business strategy to build towards overall success.