Three quick tips to combat the winter slumber
Paul Kelly of Paul Kelly Motor Company made national headlines when he announced he was taking staff on an all-expensses paid trip to Las Vegas.
Get Creative in giving your employees a reason to enjoy themselves this winter and remember why, outside the paradigms of their role, they like working for you and your company, whilst simultaneously boosting morale and activity:
1. Get moving with a step challenge
A body at rest stays at rest, or so they say. If they are right, lack of employee movement throughout the day could result in lack of employee productivity.
A 2015 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that adults are 18 percent more likely to sit for long periods of time in winter as compared with summer.
All that sitting can drain energy, leaving employees feeling mentally and physically sluggish.
Encourage hourly movement, even if it’s just to stretch, stand up, walk to the water cooler or around the building, by finding a way to have employees accurately record their steps, and reward those who not only participate but excel in the challenge.
2. Acknowledge employees’ efforts with ‘special days’
Designated special days such as bring your child or pet to work, or dressing up for NZ Cup and Show Week, festive holidays and other special occasions, give employees something to look forward to.
Better yet, involve food – because nothing brings people together quite like food.
The options here are endless: hold ‘Pizza Friday’ on the last Friday of every month, giving employees the opportunity to socialise, relax and feel valued over a free lunch; get a local coffee vendor on board and shout or discount barista drinks once a month; designate one day a month for a pot luck morning tea, or for afterwork drinks, the list goes on.
3. Host fun team bonding exercises, games and tournaments
An hour or an afternoon spent on an officewide challenge may save you tens to hundreds of hours in productivity loss through poor employee engagement and motivation.
And who doesn’t love getting involved in games and competitions? Host a fantasy league sports competition; run mid-winter secret Santa-style event where employees can spread positive cheer through friendly notes and gifts; organise a company bake-off to encourage excitement, comradery and a healthy competitive environment; or gather employees into inter- or intra-department groups and host regular in-house air music battles, pop quizzes, even collaboration and problem solving activities like Jenga and scavenger hunts.
If you’re stuck for inspiration, you can find a varied reference list of employee engagement activities here: https://www.wrike.com/blog/ ultimate-guide-team-building-activities/.
