As we move into the colder winter months, you might notice a slump with your employees. Not only is the atmosphere less pleasant and friendly but you might find a drop-in productivity as well. This is not the fault of any one individual but can be blamed on the diminishing exposure to sunlight and the gradually declining temperatures. Luckily, all is not lost and there are plenty of ways to inspire your employees to be more productive while giving them a bonus boost of joy!
Arrange a Team Building Day
With today’s economy, it’s easy to forget how important being a team player is and we can often get wrapped up in supporting and striving to improve ourselves. However, the support of others is important and necessary for improved productivity and enjoyment in the workplace. Organise a team building day that allows employees to renew the working bonds between the team. With the right activity, not only are you getting the benefit of improving relationships between employees, but you can improve key working skills as well. Activities are available that include hands-on building against the clock, see staff solving a series of challenging puzzles or simply allow staff to take a step back and enjoy a peaceful activity such as Meditainment – a multi-sensory meditation experience.
Amend Working Hours
While not possible across some industries, adjusting your working hours to provide employees more time in the day to themselves or a slightly longer evening can inspire a ton of productivity. It can be as easy as offering an extra half an hour to an hour at lunch or amending hours to start earlier or later, giving your employees the choice between a longer morning or evening at home. One of the greatest mood-killers in the winter is the lack of sunlight and therefore a drop in the amount of vitamin D we absorb. Offering a longer lunch encourages staff to get outside and enjoy the winter sun, getting some all-important fresh air and helping to boost low moods.
Offer a Snack Table
We’ve all had one of those days where we rush out of the house without getting a chance to eat breakfast or we’ve forgotten to grab our lovingly prepared lunch. By providing a snack table for your employees, you can reduce some of the stress they feel during the day regarding eating. There’s no need to go overboard but offering a mixture of sweet and savoury snacks with some healthier options can be a great mood-boosting tool in the office. Crisps and biscuits make a great sweet treat, while vegetable sticks, nut mixtures and fruit can offer plenty of healthy snack variety.
Provide an Office Playlist Facility
Work in a private office that isn’t customer facing? Depending on the size of your team, a facility to play music out loud can be a fantastic atmosphere booster. There are numerous music player tools that allow for shared playlist building for collaborative efforts and it’s a great conversation starter too. While some ground rules will need to be established regarding explicit songs, volume and the number of songs by the same artist, an office playlist can bring plenty of laughs and smiles to the office. Worried about hearing the same songs day in and day out? Try building a different playlist for each day or simply finding a pre-built playlist each morning that offers inspiration.
We spend a large percentage of our lives in the work environment so as a business owner or manager, it’s important to make the workplace an enjoyable place to be. Spend some time brainstorming with your employees and find out what makes them happy and what would inspire them to work more efficiently, you might be surprised with their ideas!
