Maintaining focus and drive in your company can be challenging, especially as the warmer months set in and the weather outside becomes a lot more appealing than the atmosphere in the office. Once the summer hits, you may in fact find that your employees start to get distracted. You could also find that slipping productivity could pose a threat to your financial plan and bottom line.
Thankfully, as a small business owner, you have a number of viable options to prevent this from becoming a problem and get your company back on track. As the leader of the enterprise, it is your responsibility to ensure that motivation is a top priority, and without it there is a good chance your workers won't be happy or performing at their peak level.
In order to keep everyone moving in the right direction this summer, here are four easy ways to boost productivity:
1. Make sure employees get time off
We've all been there before – working day and night, putting in too many hours and starting to feel burnt out. If this happens to your employees, you could quickly see motivation, happiness and productivity start to slip. Eric Mosley, author and CEO of Globoforce, explained to Boston.com that one of the best ways to prevent this from happening is to ensure that everyone gets time off.
"Taking time off to recharge is an important part of staying motivated at work," he told the media outlet. "Encouraging a work-life balance for employees is crucial, particularly in the summer."
In many cases, stepping away from the job for a time being is the best way to get focused and remain on track.
2. Keep office life fun
In addition to time off, employees should also be encouraged to have a little fun in the office, according to Mosley. This can be easy during the summer, because the nice weather affords plenty of options to get outside during the lunch break or incorporate food into the workspace. For example, you may want to have a cookout in the middle of the day, grilling up all sorts of tasty treats. Or, you can bring in ice cream and allow workers to make their own sundaes at the end of the day. All of these steps will demonstrate loyalty to your staff and keep them happy – and full.
3. Fill your employees in on the details
Nothing can jeopardize your company's culture faster than a lack of trust. Leonard Glick, professor of management and organizational development at Northeastern University, told Forbes that you can avoid this issue by keeping your staff members in the loop. This could pertain to a new product or service, or a fundamental change to the business structure or financial plan. Either way, it is better for your employees to find out early rather than learning through rumors.
"Things that managers take for common knowledge about how things are going or what challenges are down the road or what new products are coming … they often don't take the time to share that with their employees," Glick told the news source.
4. Be a consistent leader
One of the most important factors in your employees' happiness and motivation is your behavior. Glick explained that you need to be a consistent leader, especially when the time comes for discipline or other touchy conversations. In most cases, it is alright to be friendly and close with your workers, but you must treat everyone the same. Most importantly, be honest about who you are and don't create any false relationships just for the sake of getting to know your team.