Summer Time!
The summer months are a challenge to workplace productivity. The warm weather distracts us. We daydream of sunshine, grilling, the shore (beach for those of you not from New Jersey!), long summer days and everything else that comes along with the warmest months of the year. Employers should consider ways to bring fun into the office year round, but especially in the summer.
We do what many businesses do in our area by instituting "summer hours" from Memorial Day to Labor Day, which means we close the office early on Fridays. Friday afternoons in the summer are slow, and employees can't wait to get out and start their weekend - so why fight against it?
Summer hours don't work for all companies, but there are other ways you can shake things up and keep things cool in your office during the heat. Here are a few:
Ice Cream Truck - hire an ice cream truck to come to your office and pay for everyone to get one item. It's not terribly expensive, it doesn't take much time away from productivity and most importantly, who doesn't like ice cream?!
Barbecue Catering - have a company picnic/lunch and hire a professional catering company that specializes in barbecue fare. Summer barbecues are an American tradition
Block Party - if you have a lot of neighbors, organize a block party. It's a nice way to get out of the office for a while, mingle with like-minded professionals and who knows, maybe you'll even pick up a new client!
Flea Market - what better way to let your employees express some of their personality than by organizing a flea market. Give each employee a table and the opportunity to sell some goods.
At Grey Elephant, we like to think outside the box to keep our employees, clients and colleagues engaged. Besides, ice cream trucks were a crucial aspect of my childhood summers so we'll find any reason we can to bring them back!
