5 Tips How to Make Every Day Feel Like a
Friday for Your Employees
A critical step in driving employee productivity in the workplace is making sure that your employees are physically and mentally present. You can take simple steps to help employees look forward to coming to work and keep them engaged once they are there. Here are five tips on creating an environment that encourages a positive work-life balance:
1. Perk Up
Come Monday morning, chances are employees are still recovering from their over-indulgences, and running short on sleep and proper nutrition. There are many options in helping employees look forward to Mondays. You could form a co-ed sports team with evening practices, cater a boxed lunch and movie in your conference room, or sponsor wellness seminars to educate employees on healthy living.
2. Get Some Fresh Air
Fresh air and sunlight can have a positive effect on your mood and self esteem. Even 5 minutes outdoors is enough to put a smile on your face, so encourage employees to get up from their desks to stretch their legs at least twice a day before and after lunch. Sitting for long periods of time can wreak havoc on your posture, causing muscle imbalances, shallow breathing and a general feeling of lethargy. Even on the busiest days, motivate your employees to spend some time outdoors to take a brisk walk, possibly with another coworker, to refresh and invigorate their energy levels.
3. Moderate Social Networking
Online shopping, surfing through social media sites, and mobile devices are a huge time and productivity sucker during the work day, especially on Monday when your employees may be less motivated to work diligently. Consider installing software that limits internet access to social sites to lunch time, or before and after designated working hours. If your employees are feeling less motivated to work, their time would be better spent away from their desk taking a quick activity break, rather than falling into a lull at their desk reading Facebook updates.
4. Reward the Diligent
Do you have at least one employee who is punctual, always in a good mood, and capable of leading the team through dark Mondays? Reward them! Offer free lunches or gift certificates to those who have a consistent track record of success in the office, and you may create more of an incentive and a way to motivate other employees who might otherwise take a sick day or arrive late. A little competition in the office can be healthy, and can benefit both managers and employees. At your next team meeting, pick a healthy challenge and divide your office into teams. The top performing team could be rewarded with gift certificates, paid time off, or a special allowance to leave early on a Friday afternoon of their choosing.
5. Applied Knowledge Is Power
If you are unsure of how to motivate your employees to be happier, healthier and more productive there are plentiful articles and videos online to learn from. If just reading does not do it for you, then you could even hire someone specializing in the matter! Offer seminars to your employees that teach them how to implement healthy habits into their life that encourage good nutrition, physical activity, and better self care. Knowledge can be power, but only when it is applied in the real world. Ask questions and pay close attention to whether your employees are getting any real benefit from the wellness tactics you employ. There is nothing worse than a program that does not work, so solicit feedback on all fronts to target what your organization could be doing better to keep your employees performing at their peak.
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