Ask any successful business owner what the key to success is, and you might get a variety of answers. One answer that you're likely to hear a lot is that dependable, productive employees are one of the keys to their success. Many business owners rightly recognize that it is the people who work for them that make the difference, regardless of the product or service they sell.

Anyone who has ever had even one employee can tell you that the secret to a productive workforce (and therefore a successful business) is an elusive thing known as good morale. Morale is a hard concept to define. Basically it refers to the way that your employees feel about working for you and your business. It's important because it directly affects your bottom line.

The road to good employee morale has several steps:

• Realizing how poor morale affects your bottom line is an important first step because it drives home the reality of how productivity, employee loyalty, and employee turnover can be negatively affected by poor morale.
• Figuring out what your employees want is the cornerstone of making sure that employees are happy and productive members of your team. We'll show you how to spot morale problems and find out what your employees really want.
• Increasing morale and motivation involves rewarding employees and recognizing their achievements and contributions. We'll give you helpful pointers about managing your workers, including how to build employee involvement and self-esteem.