Inexpensive activities from a planning team to boost morale, even during budget cuts

A telecommunications law department that had 63 lawyers three years ago was suffering under budget constraints. It established an “Activities Team” (A-Team) to plan morale building and networking activities for the department. The A-Team held such events as monthly breakfasts, Halloween parties for department members and their children and, a Margaritaville party with contests for the wildest tropical shirt—the prizes were decorated flip-flops.

As recounted the by administrator of that law department in Rees Morrison, Law Department Administrators: Lessons from Leaders (Hildebrandt Inst. 2004) at 14, “These very inexpensive activities bring the department together at work but in a setting away from their offices, and have been very successful” (See my posts of Oct. 30, 2005 on other morale boosters; and Nov. 19, 2005 for morale uplifts at Reuters.).