We’re officially in the thick of summer now and businesses all over the country are facing rising temperatures and a reduction in energy level and morale on the part of employees.
Summer can be a tricky time for employers and employees alike because everyone’s thoughts seem to be elsewhere. Whether employees are thinking ahead to their upcoming vacation, feeling sluggish after their recent vacation or simply are feeling the effects of the heat and the urge to get out and enjoy the summer weather, it’s definitely a challenge to keep everyone not only motivated but also engaged.
While your employees may be feeling like they’re on somewhat of a mental break during the summer, unfortunately that’s not how the business world works and you probably can’t afford to have your workforce lost in the clouds for two or three months.
The question then becomes how to keep your employees motivated and engaged in the workplace, even if there are dreams of lakes and beaches floating around their minds.
Enact Some Flexibility
As long as the work is getting done it may be okay to make some changes in how that happens. The summer is a great time to encourage more flexibility in work environments and schedules, if this is something that’s feasible for your business. You can offer employees the opportunity to work from home on some days, or get started either earlier or later in the day.
When you offer a bit of flexibility it tends to make your employees feel as if you care about their work-life balance and their well-being, which can a long way in terms of ensuring they stay productive and engaged.
Implement Training and Development
The summer is actually a great time to launch training and development programs because it adds something out of the ordinary to the normal routine, which can break up the sense of monotony employees can feel during the summer.
If you really want to combat the seasonal slump of summer then make training and developing entertaining and even a little competitive—for example, hold a summer-long tournament-style competition with winners named at the end of the summer.
You can also design training and development that’s seasonally themed and even a bit fun, with videos and multimedia features that make it feel like a treat and something out-of-the-ordinary.
Begin Training with e-Learning
The summer is a great time to start training employees through the use of a learning management system. The reason is that employees may be out of town more frequently or working from home more often than normal and they can still access their training and development materials in a way that’s on-demand and great for an on-the-go setting.
Encourage Employees to Speak Up
The more you ask your employees what is they want and need, the more engaged they’re going to be at work.
One of the best ways to discover what employees need to stay focused and productive all summer long is simply to ask them.
Spark Creativity
If you want to keep your employees’ minds focused on work during the warm weather months, use this season as a time to encourage more creativity in the workplace.
It’s a great time to hold brainstorming sessions and invite new ideas from employees.
Do you have trouble keeping your employees’ focused on the workplace during the summer? If so, have you come up with any creative ways to avoid the summer daze? Let us know your thoughts!
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