“Not only the main problem but its details absorbed him. Food, how to get it, how to eke out our slender stock of preserved food to give the greatest variety to the eternal seal. How to keep everyone employed & cheerful, to keep sleeping bags dry, to nip any sign of pessimism in the bud, the best way of keeping the stores ready for an instant shift, all these things & many more occupied his thoughts by day & most of the night.”
Reginald James - physicist, Endurance
"How to keep everyone employed & cheerful."
Reginald James was one of Shackleton's tent-mates on the ice. He had a birds-eye view for how hard Shackleton worked at keeping up morale.
Suggestions on how to keep up morale from a Shackleton's Way workshop:
1. Send Thank You emails / newsletters.
2. Recognize attendance and daily contributions - not just the big stuff.
3. Celebrate and share successes with others.