DEFEATING THE SUMMER SLUMP 3 WAYS TO KEEP UP PRODUCTIVITY DURING THE SUMMER
June 21 marks the official beginning of summer and the productivity slump most businesses experience. The sun’s tantalizing rays draw your eyes from computer screens or conference room meetings to the outside world. A weekend of fresh air, sunshine, and cool evenings on the back porch infiltrate your mind. Your productivity is sapped, but you’ve still got work to do. So, what can you do? Here are a few ways to combat the summer slump. RELAX THE WORK HOURS If you’re in a management position, consider tweaking the standard 9-to-5, Monday through Friday schedule a little bit. Some businesses will implement a 9/80 schedule, meaning employees work 80 hours in nine days instead of 10, so they can get every other Friday off. Some businesses will let employees work half days on Fridays during the summer, and others will let employees work remotely on certain days. GET MOVING Sitting at a desk for eight continuous hours can stagnate productivity at any point during the year, but during the summer, there’s an easy way to remedy it: getting a little exercise. Since the sun is shining, why not take advantage of it while you work? Try scheduling a “walking meeting” outside, or implement exercise breaks every couple of hours. Moving around boosts productivity, and doing it outside can be a great change of scenery. Your business can take a big hit when an employee leaves. It might feel like the worst thing that could happen as you’re left scrambling to pick up the pieces they left behind. Instead, think of it as an opportunity — an opportunity to find room for improvement in your business. If you take the time to evaluate the systems this employee used, and even your systems as a whole, it can reveal how well things work and what problems are present. Three questions reveal a lot about how well something is functioning in your workplace. Through answering them, you’ll begin to see how a number of areas can improve. WHAT CAN YOU SIMPLIFY? Just because you’ve been doing a process one way since you opened your business doesn’t mean it’s the most effective. Look for places where steps can be simplified. Does that system need 10 steps? If not, streamline it.
DRESS DOWN If shirts and ties are the norm at your business, you might want to consider embracing the laid-back vibe of summer by relaxing the dress code a bit. It’s a small way to ensure employees don’t feel like they’re missing out on all the perks of summertime without losing productivity. Plus, who wants to wear a suit in July? It’s tough to compete with the allure of a warm summer day, but sometimes those days can work to your advantage if you make a few simple swaps in your everyday work routine.
DO YOUR SYSTEMS NEED A FACE-LIFT? THREE QUESTIONS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THE REBOOT IT NEEDS
WHAT CAN YOU ELIMINATE? What’s redundant, and what can be automated? Look to where you can eliminate or automate a system that isn’t serving your team, clients, or you. WHAT CAN YOU DELEGATE? Sure, you’re capable of creating that landing page, but could your marketing intern take care of it? Use your time, and your employees’ times, wisely. Where is it most appropriate and valuable? Ask yourself these questions over and over for each scenario. Start with your own workflow. What are you doing that you shouldn’t be? Can you eliminate, automate, or delegate? Today, so much of what we do can be automated. If you haven’t looked at your systems and processes in a while, it’s worth careful vetting to determine if something fits into one of these categories and can be streamlined. You’ll save yourself time, money, and stress in the process.
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