The summer months are sadly coming to an end, and as the sun goes in, businesses can often notice a decrease in morale. The winter blues can have a huge effect on the motivation and productivity of your workforce, so introducing some new morale boosting methods will help your employees shake-off the dip in productivity.
Step 1 – Brighten up your environment
One main reason for the lull in morale during winter time is the lack of light associated with shorter days. If the environment you or your employees work in is dark and gloomy, then you can expect your mindset to also be pretty gloomy. Open the blinds, let all the light you can in. If this isn’t an option, use a full spectrum light to get rid of the gloom in the office.
Step 2 – Start a lunch club
Food is a great motivator. To get employees feeling boosted, why not start a lunch club or take your employees out for a team meal once a week? This not only boosts employee relations, but also will break up the day and help employees to enjoy it.
Step 3 – Seasonal fun
So summer is over and it seems like the fun is too. But don’t forget about all the exciting things winter brings! There’s Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving (and probably loads more), so embrace the winter celebrations and involve them in your office. Host mini afternoon parties, have a halloween fancy dress day or even a carol singing competition. Summer may be over but the fun doesn’t have to be!
Step 4 – Turn up the tunes
It’s been proven by researchers that listening to cheery or upbeat music can improve the mood of the listener. So make sure you invest in a radio or just get the tunes pumping in someones computer. Another good idea is to create a Spotify collaborative playlist, which means everyone in the office can add to the playlist so it’s to everyones taste!
Step 5 – Allow flexible scheduling
It can be pretty horrible leaving the office at 5 and it being dark. Why not introduce a bit of flexibility in the office? Allow employees to leave an hour early on a Friday afternoon or to come in slightly later than usual. Your employees will be grateful for it.
Winter months can be a difficult time for employees, so by introducing these steps it can bring some morale back into the workplace. Are there any season specific methods you bring into your office to boost employees? Let us know!
