With employee holidays booked and the sun shining, it’s all too easy to let work fall by the wayside during summer
Many of us celebrate the arrival of summer, welcoming the warmer weather with open arms. It’s the season of family holidays, barbeques, meeting up with friends and spending quality time with the kids while they’re off school. But with so much going on, it’s easy to let productivity in your business slip.
Thankfully, there are steps you can take to ensure that motivation stays high both from your team and yourself, without undermining everyone’s summer fun. Here are our top tips for avoiding the summer productivity slump.
Change your working hours to suit you
If you have the flexibility, it’s a good idea to shift your working hours to better suit a summer schedule. Maybe start work an hour earlier so you can enjoy a bit of sunshine in the afternoon, or work longer days Monday to Thursday so you can finish at lunchtime on a Friday and enjoy a longer weekend.
Consider this not only for yourself, but as a feature to offer to your employees too. When your team knows they have time off coming up, it can help to keep productivity levels high during working hours.
Get outside
There’s no reason why you and your team need to be trapped indoors all day when the weather is glorious. If you have a meeting or workshop scheduled, why not make it an outdoor one? Or go one step further and arrange a walking meeting with a colleague. A breath of fresh air can give you and your employees a much-needed motivation boost, while also helping you avoid spinal issues from sitting at a desk all day. In fact, one study by Stanford University in the US found that walking meetings could boost creativity by up to 60%.
Make time for post-holiday catch ups
It’s inevitable at this time of year that members of your team will be taking time off for a summer holiday. In order to minimise any delays and downtime this causes for your organisation, be sure to schedule a catch up for when your staff member returns. They will probably appreciate this just as much as you will, as it’ll give them a chance to get caught up on any updates they might have missed, and ensure they are clear on where they stand in terms of their to-do list.
Make your way down your to-do list
Speaking of to-do lists, part of owning your own business seems to be having a list of tasks that you never quite get round to completing. Many organisations experience a period of downtime during the summer, and if that is indeed the case for your brand, it’s a good time to take a look at some of those tasks you’ve been struggling to get done. Whether it’s tackling your brand’s cybersecurity or updating your marketing plan, taking the time now to do the less immediate tasks will stand you in greater stead when business picks up again.
Give yourself – and your team – a break
Nobody likes all work and no play. While keeping productivity high is important, this isn’t achieved by working you and your team members to the bone. Make time for you and your staff to enjoy a little downtime here and there, soaking up the summer sun and bonding together as a team. That way you’ll be able to tackle your workload feeling refreshed.