Ah, the warm breeze, brighter days and packed patios lined with patrons sipping back cold refreshing beverages make summertime truly the best time of year. It can also be the worst when it comes to productivity in the workplace. With all of the temptations that come along with the improving weather, it can be challenging to keep your staff motivated and focused on their work rather than the time that’s left until they can head outside to enjoy the weather.
To help minimize those distractions and keep your staff focused, here are some tips for a more productive summer workplace.
Show Your Appreciation Frequently
Showing appreciation for your employees on a regular basis is really an important part of maintaining their morale and building a positive environment at work. Showing recognition for a job well done, offering a handshake, sharing their idea with the team, or even providing some tasty perks like coffee and treats are all small meaningful ways to achieve this. Also, consider combining your gratitude with a few outdoor activities, such as a staff BBQ or patio drinks to celebrate a successful milestone or deal.
Take Some Meetings Outside
Sure, this might not be as practical to do each and every time, but once in a while – on those particularly glorious sunny days when your staff seems extra preoccupied – try to switch up the scenery by hosting a few meetings outside. Getting out to enjoy a bit of the sunshine and fresh air will boost their mood and energy levels and will help inspire their creative juices.
Create a More Relaxed Work Environment
Unless you have any special guests or events that require a strict dress code, establishing a more relaxed atmosphere at work is another great way to create a more productive summer workplace. You could create a more casual dress code for a few months – maybe June until October – where staff can roll out their lighter, comfortable items like jeans, sundresses, golf shirts, etc. Of course, you can also create some guidelines and boundaries for their attire in order to make sure everyone knows what flies and what doesn’t.
Set Summer Hours
As Canadians, we know that once the warm weather arrives, we’ve got to take full advantage of it since we only have a short window of time to really enjoy it. So why not create some summer hours to allow your employees to enjoy more of the great weather? You may even find that productivity increases with this adjustment since staff can get into the office and work more efficiently with their time, rather than pretend to be busy until 5 o’clock finally rolls around. If your hours are 9-5, maybe making the day 8-4 during the summer will encourage a more productive work environment as they would get out earlier.
If you feel that the workplace morale and productivity seems to take a serious dip during the summer, try implementing some of these tips. Keeping your staff focused and happy is often easier than you think – so don’t be shy to try something new and switch things up. Your productivity and business will always greatly benefit from employees who feel appreciated and enjoy going to their workplace.
