As a leader or manager, the morale of your team starts with you €“ a fact that you should always keep in mind. Take a long, hard look at yourself, to see whether you can improve how you project your own morale, your feelings and your enthusiasm.

The fact is, your team is always watching you. If you are feeling confident and positive and project this, then it will rub off on other people.

A positive attitude is highly infectious. The following five tips will help you explore when and how you can improve morale in your pharmacy:

1. Connect with your team

Strong and effective relationships are built on trust. If you don't have strong, trust-based relationships with your team, you risk them seeing everything you do as manipulation to get more from them. They may feel that you don't value them personally.

A lack of appreciation is often cited as a key reason for low morale. Yet showing appreciation doesn't have to involve money. A simple and genuine 'Well done' or 'Thank you for a good job' €“ or perhaps an offer of time off or flexible working when a significant goal has been met €“ can work very well.

Spend time with your team, listen to their concerns and show them that you value their contribution. Give them feedback to help them improve. It is not difficult to develop good working relationships with people, but it does require time, consistency and integrity.

2. Show respect and give clear direction

The series of One Minute Manager books by Ken Blanchard introduces the concept of using the minimum investment of time to produce the most out of every member of your team. The essence is that you should show people respect and define expectations, but avoid over-managing.

Most people respond well to such an approach, as long as their job is well enough defined and they are allowed the occasional mistake, without fear of disproportionate punishment. Morale levels can fall if people are unclear about what they should be doing. This lack of direction is disheartening and will sap morale very quickly.

Make sure that everyone is clear about what they should be doing and how their work contributes as a whole. Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timebound) for everyone. Having clear achievable goals will help to motivate people and build their confidence.