1) Incentives
A little bribery can go a long way! Fun, engaging and meaningful incentives will spark excitement in any office. If you can create a healthy competition, that’s even better. The key here is to make it fun. Simply telling folks they’ll get lunch if they meet goals won’t get the job done. Instead, think outside the box. There’s no reason why, as a leader, you can’t make work and the office fun. Here are some incentives that should get your office motivated:
- A free day off to enjoy an extra day of summer outside the office!
- A spa weekend.
- Tickets to a sporting event or concert.
- A budget to decorate offices or cubicles.
- Unique trophies to display.
- The option to attend a work-related conference of their choice, all expenses paid.
Having the office come up with incentives is also a fun option. The idea is to get people involved!
2) Field Trips
Everyone looks forward to a day out of the office. Depending on what kind of business you have, this outing could provide both a change of scenery and an educational experience. Or the field trip could be purely about fun. Give your team something fun to strive for; track their progress so they can see how close they are to reaching their field-trip goal. Or simply schedule outings for each month of the summer. If you’re able, allow employees to bring their family or friends. Some fun office field trips:
- Amusement park
- Brewery or winery tour
- Movie trip
- Day cruise
3) Lead by Example: If you’re taking lots of time off over the summer months, enjoying long lunches and gazing out your window all day, it will be very difficult for your workforce to feel motivated. With this in mind, try to stay focused and positive. Consider what motivates you when you’d rather be sitting on the beach. What distracts you likely distracts your team, and what motivates you can motivate them as well.
4) Positive Reinforcement: Yes, people get paid to be at work. But everyone still appreciates and responds to gratitude. If someone is excelling and is motivated, take time to recognize his or her efforts. Be understanding that it’s difficult to stay focused in the summer and that you appreciate everyone’s contributions. A “thank you” can go a long way!
5) Create a Summer Tradition: Summer traditions give people something to look forward to. This could be a summer BBQ, softball, a reading challenge or something your office decides on as a team. Get your workforce working and playing together. Collaboration, positivity and fun spark innovation and motivation.
Every year RingCentral has a summer BBQ. Check out some pics from this year’s event!
How do you plan on keeping your office motivated this summer?
Featured image courtesy of Jason Hargrove via photopin cc.
Originally published Jul 19, 2013, updated Dec 30, 2022