Or is it?
*This is an old article I wrote in 2012 that seems relevant as the temps near 90 in New England today :-) Hope you enjoy…
How to keep motivated during the summer months
There are over 25,000 recordings of “Summertime”.[14] In September 1936, a recording by Billie Holiday was the first to hit the US pop charts, reaching #12.[7] Other notable recordings include those by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald in 1957, Sam Cooke also in 1957, Gene Vincent and Miles Davis in 1958, The Marcels in 1961, The Tornadoes in 1964, Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company on the 1968 album Cheap Thrills as well as The Zombies. The most commercially successful version was by Billy Stewart, who reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966.
The words are part of the America Fabric now and singers and others have used them for decades. I think they represent more of a goal then a reality though. We all want to kick back in the summer months and really not work much. Avoid the stress of our jobs and soak up the sun, as Sheryl Crow sings. Our attention spans – like mine in this article – stray to songs about summer, thoughts of warm rays and sands. Getting distracted from the responsibilities of work couldn’t be easier this time of year.
Honestly I am not sure how you folks in the warm weather states do it? Florida, California, Arizona, Nevada, the Carolinas etc. (forgive me if I left out your great state). If I lived in any of those locations I would have clearly become a beach bum years ago. Heck I have my whole career goal set on figuring out a way not to work during the summer. Maybe I should have been a teacher?
So if you share in my lack of motivation to work when the sun is shining, and my overwhelming desire to enjoy the summer – how can you motivate both yourself and your team? Here are some basic tips that might help:
• Actually take some time off! Succumb to the draw of the great weather and enjoy yourself. It’s better to schedule a few Fridays off then sit at your computer and daydream. If you are not going to be productive, then be efficient about it and do nothing that day.
• Give your staff some extra time off. If they are doing a great job and the forecast is for blue skies the next day surprise them with a day off. Praise them for the great work and tell them to enjoy the day. Make sure this is an extra day off above their vacation/personal time. Employees will remember a move like this and be thankful for a long time.
• Plan an outing. Mid-Week Charity Golf Tournaments are ideal. It’s a great team-building exercise and allows everyone to get out of the office, have some fun, and give to a great cause.
• Treat your team to a long lunch. Find a great restaurant with an outdoor patio and enjoy the weather together. It’s a great mid-day break that really motivates a team.
• Make a frozen coffee run. I won’t give any free advertising but those frozen Mocha coffee drinks are insanely good. Head out around 2PM and come back with a tray of them for the team. The good will combined with a sugar and caffeine rush makes for a great afternoon.
• Set some weekly goals for your employees for the summer. If they are met by Thursday evening give them Friday off. If they meet them by Friday at noon give them the afternoon off. Try this and watch productivity spike.
• Adopt a casual dress policy if appropriate for the summer months. The only thing more annoying than working on a hot summer day is doing so in business attire.
The living can be easy in the summertime. Work hard, play hard, and enjoy life.
Vincent Scaramuzzo is the President of Ed-Exec, Inc. A leading Education Executive Search Firm. He is also a contributing author to various education publications. As a specialist in the education field for over a decade, Scaramuzzo works nationally. He can be contacted at vincent@ed-exec.com 860-781-7641.