Ahhh…the lazy summer months. The only thing getting in the way is work. If your employees think like this during this period, it’s time for a little summer motivation.
“Businesspeople understand they have to establish value when it comes to their clientele, but what they sometimes forget is that they have establish value just as consistently when it comes to their people,” explains author, consultant, speaker, Barry Maher. “You’re asking what your people can do for your business. Your people are asking what the business can do for them. And that?s never more true than in the lazy summer months.” And while it may take extra effort on your part as the boss, it shouldn’t cost your company anything.
“It doesn’t cost a penny. Nowhere near as much as not doing it. Motivating people in the summer can be particularly tough when thoughts can be elsewhere and, when business is sometimes slow. But there’s no glory and nothing to be proud of in easy victory. Doesn’t the true measure of what we’ve accomplished lie in the obstacles we’ve overcome?” asks Maher, who lists his clients as ABC, Budget Rent a Car, Fox Cable Television,Hewlett-Packard, and the Small Business Administration.
Three easy steps to getting your employees moving:
1) Get flexible: This might be the best time to be a little more flexible in allowing employees to do work from home on some days. “Offer Flex Time Employees will value the opportunity to enjoy the Summer months with more personal time and have a deeper sense of appreciation to the company,” says Todd Horton Founder/CEO KangoGift.
2) Be creative: Think of inventive ways to get your employees to work–even do more work. “Create fun contests create themed contests that tie a business goal with an incentive such as a sports outing, restaurant opening, or other activity,” says Horton. It’s what the folks at web design and marketing firm EZSolution do. They have a “FUN Day” every two months. “Two months ago, we went to a local indoor sports facility and did rock climbing. This month, we got T-shirts and took a 2 hour break from our busy day and went Go Karting at a local track,” says Matthew Boaman of EZSolution.
3) Take it outside. The weather is nice and sometimes it is frustrating for employees to be stuck inside. And frustrated workers are less productive. “Get out of the office. Use the Summer to create a company off-site meeting which can be used for team-building, continuous learning, or training,” offers Horton. “The theme of these tips is to engage your employees in refreshing ways. Creating a productive atmosphere during the Summer is possible if you provide clear and realistic goals for your employees. By combining actionable goals along with concrete rewards for success, employees will be more focused on working hard and then enjoying their time off.”
