We’re now in the peak of summer temperatures, how do you keep people motivated through the haze and heat?
Stay Chilly
This might seem like almost a ‘kindergarten’ business rule, but it’s critical and you might be surprised how often it contributes to keeping your employees motivated. Companies that don’t invest in comfortable and livable places for people to work often lose out to other firms. It depends what industry you’re in — but while lineman, bridge contractors, fishermen and produce pickers are destined to work outside in the hot sun, people in various kinds of office work shouldn’t have to grapple with the summer heat all day. So make sure that buildings are properly outfitted and that everyone is accommodated to have a healthier and safer summer, not to mention more of the motivation and productivity.
Take Advantage of Seasonal Events
While July 4 is a great time to spice up the business calendar with an outdoor event, you may even want to have an event another evening, when people have a little bit of respite from the heat. Another interesting suggestion is to have a “siesta”, where workers take breaks at the peak hours of the day. This type of scheduling can really have a rejuvenating effect on people’s productivity into the evening.
Mix It Up
Summer is also a unique opportunity to mix up the schedule and experiment with different plans. Where the beginning and the end of the year often focus on conventional things like sales evaluation and bottom line numbers, summer can be a time to try out a pilot program, a new marketing campaign, a new employee wellness program or other initiative.
Create a Sense of Future
Summer can also be a time to start planning for fall.
By incorporating some types of business evaluation into the summer season, you can give people some kind of road marker to show them how the company is progressing throughout the year. By tying the present into the future, you create a sense of future– a reminder that you’re not just spinning people’s wheels, but actually getting somewhere as a company, and that everyone is involved in this advancement. A little bit of this will help make a long summer day in the office seem more purposeful and less pointless.
You may want to check out this blog post:
Reducing Employee Turnover
Have a question? We’re happy to help.
