It’s easy for your team to lose the pep in their step in the monotony of everyday work. However, that doesn’t mean that they’ve lost their competitive edge. Here are 5 affordable, easy ways to boost morale and performance at your work place.

1. Have off-site meetings. Showing up to the same place day in and day out can stifle creativity and create a stale work environment. By having an off-site meeting, you will see your employees re-energized and the creative energy flowing. A neutral setting allows everyone to get to know each other in a different light and breathe easier. Even if just for a lunch or quick game of pool, fresh surroundings will get the brain moving again and ideas will come more quickly and easily.
2. Share improvements. If you’ve seen a big change in the commitment in one of your employees, honor his/her dedication to your company with a certificate displayed in a classy plaque. We suggest you create an Employee of the Month award to honor employees who have shown the most dedication every month. Award personalized plaques for employees to keep in their office as well as plaques displayed in the lobby which are updated with the current and past employees of the month. We even suggest including a gift card or some other incentive to sweeten the deal.
3. Have a friendly competition. Get your company involved in some sort of challenge or competition against another organization. Everyone is at least a little competitive, and you’ll be surprised to see how quickly your company bands together to become the champions. Try organizing a kickball tournament or a fundraiser to entice the competitiveness of your team. Competitions within the company can also be a great morale booster. Create a plaque for “The Most Generous” when participating in fundraisers to show appreciation for the employee who gave the most or a plaque for “Most Valuable Player” in your kick ball tournament.
4. Make Friday a “theme-day.” Make Friday a Take-Your-Dog-To-Work Day or have everyone bring in a childhood photo. This will create a new fun environment and encourage conversations between coworkers. The companionship of bringing in employees’ dogs will get the whole office excited to introduce their furry friends to their coworkers. These theme-days don’t have to be every Friday; even just once a month will help relieve the tedium of everyday work and get employees energized about being able to share a part of their personal life with the office.
5.  When all else fails, give free food. If employee morale is really low, lighthearted attempts to lighten the mood and increase morale may be lost on them. However, free food never fails to bring a team together. They’ll be happy just to save a few bucks and spend some time out of the office conversing with coworkers on Pizza Fridays or Bagel Mondays.