Motivation

Whether promoting employee well-being, encouraging innovation, or recognizing contribution, companies that earn “best to work for” titles find ways to create a culture where individuals feel valued and energized. Here’s a look at some of the morale-boosting practices of companies on Fortune’s 2013 list:

Who is the biggest team player in the office and the most trusted office employee? You, according to a survey conducted by Staples in honor of Administrative Professionals Week. Two-thirds of non-admin respondents gave “top team player” honors to their admin, and admins beat out the boss and human resource workers for the title of “most trusted,” too. (More than half of those surveyed also believe you are under-compensated and that you have “super-human” powers.)

The “greenest” employee at your company may be the one who doesn’t come to the workplace. According to a survey by USamp and TeamViewer, telecommuters often demonstrate more environment-friendly behaviors than their office counterparts because they are used to trying harder to conserve at home.

The Office Professional would like to extend our best wishes to all admins as Administrative Professionals Week kicks off. While Wednesday marks the individual day when many workplaces recognize the contributions and accomplishments of their amazing admins, it’s never too early to get the celebration started when it comes to feting dedicated, invaluable workers!

Rainy April mornings lend themselves to hitting the snooze button once or twice, leaving workers pressed for time when they finally do get up. Avoid a frantic start to the day by trying one or more of these tips for coaxing yourself out of bed:

Put the alarm in an inconvenient place.

Force yourself to abandon the cozy covers by placing the clock across the room or on a high bookshelf.

Make your bed immediately.

Moving around gets the blood flowing, and you’ll remove the visual temptation to curl back up.

Friendly competitions between employees or departments can add fun to the workplace. If you’ve been put in charge of creating such a contest or helping your boss run one, it pays to do some thinking ahead of time to ensure a positive experience for all.

Ever watch your kids (or your spouse) play video games and wonder how they can maintain interest for hours on end? One of the keys to becoming hooked is the idea of “small wins.” Each level completed, enemy defeated, or problem solved brings a sense of accomplishment that makes the player feel good and want to continue.

The first week of the baseball season is a time filled with hope and excitement as teams pursue their goals with a clean slate. In honor of the return of our national pastime, here are some observations from a few of the best who ever played; they may have had baseball in mind, but their words ring true well beyond the center-field wall.

“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.” – Bob Feller

As Employee Spirit Month comes to a close, here are more examples of how real companies are working to improve morale at their workplace. If you missed yesterday’s piece, click here.

March has been designated Employee Spirit Month, a time to recognize achievements and increase morale in the workplace. In honor of this occasion, we asked companies what they do to keep spirits up. Here are some of the responses (more tomorrow); feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.