After a long, cold winter and a drab spring, summertime is a welcome change, with beautiful weather, longer days and so much to do!
Unfortunately, that also makes it a big distraction for employees, who might have to fight themselves to keep from daydreaming about what they’d rather be doing than working. (And, if we’re being honest, managers sometimes have to fight those urges too!)
How do you keep your team focused and productive when everyone would rather be outside? Here are a few tips.
Remind your team to use their time off.
Tell them to take a hike! Or a camping trip! Paid time off is part of most employees’ compensation packages and this is a great time to remind them that they have it to use. If spring and summer fever is really getting to them, encourage your team to take their time off and put it to good use. Work together to make sure everyone has an equal chance to take time off over the next few months and encourage people to put their requests in sooner than later to ensure your company has sufficient coverage while people are out. (And remember: Vacation means time away from work — no emails, phone calls, texts, etc., unless it’s an absolute emergency, and that goes for you too!) They’ll come back refreshed and ready to get back to work.
Be flexible.
Some companies let their employees know in April or early May that they’ll start “summer hours” around Memorial Day weekend, meaning the company will close earlier on Fridays until September. This is a wonderful incentive to keep people focused, as they’ll have one or two less hours on Friday (maybe more!) to get their tasks done, but it’ll be worth it because their weekend will start earlier. If that’s not possible, allow people to flex their schedules to come in earlier in order to leave earlier, making sure that there’s enough coverage on those precious Friday afternoons.
Take it outside.
Do you work in an environment where there’s access to an outdoor space? Maybe some picnic tables? Are you close to a park? If you can take meetings outside, instead of stuffy conference rooms, do it! Everyone can use the fresh air and sunshine. Keep these meetings rolling by sticking to the points and objectives to minimize distractions, but taking meetings outside can be a nice break in the routine for your team. Also encourage people to take breaks and go outside for fresh air and a little exercise during their lunches, walking around the block or parking lot just to keep their minds fresh too.
Consider team building.
This isn’t about retreats and corporate togetherness; this is about soccer, kickball, softball, volleyball and other pick-up or beer-league sports! Adult sports leagues are incredibly popular and offer a great opportunity for people to get together after work for a little friendly competition. Your company can sponsor a team with the name on their uniforms, maybe even offering to buy a round of beverages of any kind after the game — maybe even an end-of-season awards ceremony for the best (and, lovingly, worst) players!
The team that eats together stays together.
The smell of a grill is enticing, especially in the summer. Maybe this is the year your company hosts a picnic! Whether it’s during the work day for employees only, or on a weekend or evening so people can bring their families, a picnic is a great way to bring people together in a relaxed atmosphere, have some delicious food, chat and relax. If it’s during the week, it’s another nice break from the routine and it’s one less day that people need to bring their lunch from home or figure out what to do. Break out your funniest grilling apron for extra laughs.