Summer brings lighter days, not just in terms of sunlight but also in workload as clients and colleagues take their annual holiday, here are 10 tips to get the most from the next few weeks:
One idea to help your team is to buy ice creams for your team, spontaneously, one sunny afternoon
For yourself:
• Read a significant book, either fiction or factual. Spend some of your holiday engrossed in literature that will stretch your mind and give you a fresh perspective.
• Exercise and reboot your brain after work. Use the light evenings to take a walk or go for a run. Research has proved that daily outdoor exercise isn’t just good for the body it’s good for the brain, helping us to get our thoughts in order and relieving stress.
• Keep the main thing the main thing. Most of us get distracted by stuff that is not our primary role, let some of these distractions go and refocus on the primary reasons that you do the job you do.
• Set some 12 month goals. Take a few hours off to set some personal goals for the next year – if you did this back in January take another look, reassess and see what you’ve already achieved.
• Spend more time one to one. With the summer months being less pressured, book some informal one to ones with each of your team.
For your team
• Let people work outside, get away from the artificial light and air conditioning and allow nature into your next meeting.
• Encourage 2 week holidays – to maintain productivity it’s important that staff get right away from work for an extended period, so monitor any team members taking lots of short breaks and encourage them to take a full 2 weeks off.
• Buy ice creams for your team, spontaneously, one sunny afternoon.
• Reaffirm team members before they take a holiday – you don’t want them to spend two weeks feeling unappreciated so write them each a short note of recognition and give it to them before they take their holiday.
• Book a team day – before the autumn draws in be sure to book an away day or off site day for your team. Use the day to reaffirm the team’s purpose, set goals, get to know each other better and celebrate recent successes.
Any other ideas? Do let us know and we will add them to the list.
