Look, Listen, Take Nothing for Granted

Morale is like the weather on the plainsit can changedrastically in the space of a minute. But on the plains, youcan see a storm coming; the warning signs of bad morale aremore subtle and difficult to detect. Some old signals, suchas increased turnover and frequent absences, aren't asreliable now as they once were. People are less likely toleave their position in the middle of a recession, when jobsare hard to find, and since Sept. 11 some companies havediscovered that turnover has decreased as employees yearnfor stability and security in their life.

Still, being able to identify a morale problem begins bybeing able to recognize situations that can bring peopledown, says Ben Holder.

As vice president and CIO of Unifi, a Greensboro,N.C.-based textiles manufacturer, Holder makes it a point tomeet with his staff on a daily basis to discuss all aspectsof IT and its place in the company. He keeps his ears openfor the red flags that could signal trouble.