Summer – with its sunshine and hot temperatures – begs for people to kick back with a cold drink or ride waves or feast on BBQ. Work just gets in the way of everyone’s fun, even yours, bossman or lady. As a result, it is hard to keep your employees – not to mention yourself – focused. But there are certain tactics that allow you to embrace summer in all its glory and get the job, whatever it may be, done. Here are some suggestions:
TGIF Initiatives
Half-Day Fridays
One of the ways many established businesses motivate employees is to usher in Summer Fridays, usually beginning with Memorial Day weekend and ending with Labor Day weekend. Some close the office at 1 p.m. and others at 3 p.m. Of course, this doesn’t apply to departments, such as customer service, which must be in the office for set hours and availability to clients. And you can always extend weekday hours Monday to Thursday to make sure everything gets done if you think that’s necessary.
Work-From-Home Fridays
Another option some companies are implementing is work-from-home Fridays. This perk doesn’t work for every business because some require face time, such as salespeople in a store. But those doing office work can give it a try, as long as they find a way to track everyone’s progress. Some companies mix it up and just have employees pick one day a week, not necessarily Friday, to work from home.
Flex Hours
This one doesn’t work for every business or even every employee. Still, some companies have flex hours year round and not just the summer. The idea is simple. Rather than focusing on the number of hours somebody puts in, employers look at the work getting done. Employees can make their own schedules, for the most part, as long as they meet goals and finish projects on time. Human resources often is involved in enforcing guidelines and monitoring progress.
Creating A Summer Vibe
Business Casual
This is a simple, easy to implement perk. Allow employees to dress down a bit. Of course, make some rules about having them avoid sleeveless attire and flip-flops and anything else you deem inappropriate. But don’t force them to pull on the old business suit when it’s 1,000 degrees outside. You can allow this once a week or all summer long depending on your business and how often employees must interact with clients.
Bring Summer Into The Office
While you can’t bring sand and ocean into the building, you can offer up some summery treats, such as strawberries, pineapple, lemonade, or iced tea. Maybe host an ice cream social one afternoon. These kinds of things can be rewards for completed projects and certain achievements. You could also pipe in some summer tunes. Truly, you’re limited only by your imagination (and budget, of course).
Joining The Fun
Host A Company Retreat Or Picnic
Since work is usually slower, many companies use the time to strategize and build teams. A great way to do this is to plan a retreat in a pretty, natural setting. If the bill for a weekend getaway is too expensive, then you can always do the same at a company picnic. If you just want it to be a social event, then you can invite employees’ families as well. Whip out the potato sacks and egg spoons for races and go to town.
Encourage Summer Reading
Some employers create book clubs for the summer and encourage employees to read books that provide either motivation or tips relevant to their industry. Then, participants get together to discuss what they read. It can help re-energize employees and give them ideas for ways to improve both themselves and the business.
What are you doing to keep concentration on track when everyone, including you, would rather be at the beach? Let us know in the comments below.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: How To Keep Employees Motivated During Summer’s Lazy Days
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