5 Ways Great Managers Motivate Their Employees Over The Summer

If you’re a leader, it’s time to come to grips with something grim: Your employees are dreaming about the summer. But it’s not, “Gee, I sure hope I get more work done!” What they're really thinking about is that coming family vacation. (That’s my family on holiday in Ireland. More fun than you can imagine!)

That’s usually not the kind of shocking news I’d interrupt our summer viewing of “Big Bang” reruns to report to you, but it’s good to be reminded: July and August can be a distracting time for workers, what with vacation plans, that yard that needs work, the weekend neighborhood barbecue and the yearly family reunion at Uncle Byron’s place. Not to mention cheap seats at the New York Mets games. (You can have a whole section to yourself; they are that bad!)

While everyone needs to unwind, too many summer distractions can kill a team’s productivity. So, I offer up five ways I’ve seen great leaders use to keep their people engaged and energized during the summer months:

1. Make work a game. Your people spend their free time golfing, surfing, hiking or fishing, so why not make work more of a contest. Set goals to sell more products, develop better processes, or meet more client needs, and then reward the winners with prizes. Another idea: Hold a lunchtime trivia contest with questions about company products and history—again with prizes for the champs.
2. Take a break together. One afternoon skip out to golf together (the duffers and the pros alike) or go bowling. Maybe take the team to ride go-carts or just throw a Frisbee around at the park. Or have a chili cook-off with employees bringing their best recipes. The bottom line: It’s your job to help your team feel like more of a … well … team, and summer is a great time to do just that.
3. Institute a fun summer tradition. Play a great summer song way too loud each afternoon (and let a different person chose the music each day). Take a doughnut break Monday morning, or have a pot luck lunch on Wednesday, or wear your favorite team jersey day on Thursday, or keep a Scrabble game ongoing on Fridays with departments competing against each other. I’ve also seen teams adopt a group mascot (a stuffed monkey, rubber chicken, even a GI Joe Doll) and take him on their personal vacations. Funny photos are sent back to the office and much hilarity ensues.
4. Conduct “previews.” Summer is a great time to conduct what we call “previews”—not a formal review but a chance to sit down with your direct reports and evaluate progress toward their goals and, more importantly for them, what their career ambitions are and what you can do to help achieve those goals. These don't need to take place in a formal work environment either. Take them out to lunch or hit a bucket of balls while chatting.
5. Recognize, recognize, recognize. Cultures that are effective at appreciating excellence are up to three times more profitable than their competitors. And recognition doesn’t have to be stuffy. Employees at Budget Rent A Car in western Canada spend their summers voting for the happiest person each week. At the end of each day employees cast votes, and on Friday the winner finds balloons at his or her desk. It’s a great way to keep things light, and certainly pleasant for customers.

In great cultures, leaders keep productivity as high in summer as it is the rest of the year. The point is lighten up and keep things fun in the coming months, but also help your people focus and stretch to reach their goals. Who knows, you just might end up having the best summer ever! Except if you are a Mets fan.

Chester Elton is author of the New York Times bestsellers All In and The Carrot Principle. Learn more at TheCultureWorks.com.

For 50+ more summer favorites from Influencers, check out the full Influencer Summer Guide here.