Summer is the season of pleasures. Since we were children, we learned that the last day of school leads to a 3-month freedom. That rewarding feeling is usually stuck with us for a long, long time. Unfortunately, responsibilities kick in real soon once the school times are over.

Employees are normal people that had normal childhoods. Summer is summer, and even if they’re working for your company, they’re still craving to escape and have fun. According to a survey, 71% of employees suggest that their productivity drops when they’re working in a hot office.

If the employees are getting overheated, it has been proven that their ability to focus, their energy, and their moods will drop significantly. In other words, their productivity is decreasing. The effect? Your company’s performance is going to suffer.

Luckily, the temperature is not everything that matters during summer days. It’s actually important that your employees are in a firm mental shape. They need to be motivated, they need to have good habits, and they must be committed to maintaining (or improving) their productivity.

During today’s post, you’re going to learn how to bring a spark into your employees’ work experience during the summer.

1. Approach the Problem Directly

I believe that transparency is key to a great communication. The first thing you need to do is make your employees aware that rough times are about to come. You should initiate a “special meeting” where you should approach the problem directly.

You need to make them understand that you need them to preserve their productivity. Make them understand that the company is counting on each of their individual efforts, and ask them not to disappoint you.
In other terms, you’re asking your team to stay focused and productive, even though the distraction factors that summer brings are hard to manage.

If you’re making this kind of request, you obviously need to offer something in return. You need to let them know that you’ve thought of them, and they need to see that you have their well-being in mind.

2. Have Meetings Outside

Summer is awesome because the weather is hot, you can wear comfortable clothes, and enjoy the sun touch on your skin. BUT, if you need to stay in an uncomfortably hot office, you’ll end up wishing that you never took that job.

This is why having meetings outside is a gorgeous idea. Find a special, silent place where to hold your meetings. It could be a café bar, it could be at a nearby cabin, it could be at the countryside if it’s not too far away, and it could be anywhere outdoors where the conditions permit.

Your employees will enjoy this experience, as it’s something that breaks the routine. Moreover, you can even cook some barbecue while dealing with your company matters. It doesn’t have to be each 2 days, but rather a one-time weekly outside a meeting.

3. 1 on 1 Communication

Communication is key to a company’s success. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to create proper communication channels between you and your employees. Even though some of you may not have the patience, having 1 on 1 conversations with each of your employees might be critical to their motivation.

We’ve asked Gary Pulliam, HR manager at Best Essays writing service, about the best way to approach your employees 1 on 1:
“When you talk to them, ask them how they’re doing. Don’t be a fake. You need to really care about their situation, about how they feel about the company, about their needs and problems, and so on. That’s what a great leader does – listens and helps with finding solutions.”

4. Make the Work Hours More Flexible

Here’s the best incentive to give your employees while asking for their commitment. Making the work hours more flexible is a great way to stimulate any employee, especially during the summer season.

If normally you’d ask them to follow a strict 8 hours’ schedule, now you can cut some hours. A lot of work doesn’t equal more productivity. In fact, it might cause overwhelm and frustration.

Think of ways to cut some working hours. If you can’t do that, at least think about the possibility of allowing them to work from home (a certain amount of hours/week).

They can even take small mini-vacations of 4 days (Thursday-Sunday) because they were able to work “from home”, which could also mean on a beach. As long they bring results, you shouldn’t care about how they perform their work hours.

5. Encourage Them to Take Some Time Off

Even though it’s weird to ask your employees to stop working, it’s the right solution for both you and them. Every person needs to take some time off. At least some weeks per year. It’s summer, and all of your employees still have day offs.
In order for your employees to produce normal results, they need they clear their minds and disconnect from work completely. You could even tell them that – not to think about work.

A good idea would be to make a special work contest. The winner takes a family trip which is paid by the company. What a way of encouraging results!

Conclusion

If you want to keep up with the good results, taking action upon motivating your employees during summer is a must. Perceive it as an exam that always comes in the summer. How well will you manage this task? It depends on you. Prepare, manage, and act. Follow our tips and lead your team of employees towards higher productivities no matter the season!