Now that summer is here, it is time to embrace the weather change and use it to you and your
company’s advantage. No one wants to be stuck in an office all day when they could be outside enjoying
the warm heat and sun! I personally work outside almost every day I can because it helps me think of
new ideas and become more productive. There are many situations and times when you can move your
work outside as well. You will be surprised at how much your employees will enjoy it and what good
things may come from it. Here are just a few ways to be able to take advantage of the summer.
Add some BBQ fun to the workplace- How about a company BBQ! Nothing says summer more
than a BBQ with hamburgers and hotdogs! This is a fairly cheap way to be able to add a little extra to
your company. You can hire a catering company to come and cook for you, or simply bring your BBQ
from home and do it yourself. Sometimes having your own employees participate and cook can help add
to the experience. Make sure it is fun for them. Add a radio to the area so that they stay and eat with
everyone. Since this would be done during scheduled breaks this should not affect productivity at all,
and it will give them something to talk about for a while.
Take the board meeting outside- Why not have the meetings in a place outside of the
workplace? Studies have been done that show when people meet in a more relaxed and welcoming
environment, ideas and participation increase. If your company has a quiet place outside then move the
meeting there. If the meeting requires PowerPoint’s or materials you can print them out, or if your
employees have laptops, have them bring them out as well to be able to have everything they need.
Add some outdoor activities to your day- Create some fun activities to introduce to your
workplace. It is easy to tie company messages or training to the activities making it a fun place for
employees as well as an opportunity to add a business aspect as well. Create training or fun around
things like company car washes where management washes the employee’s cars. There are so many
other options such as dunk tanks, cake walks, or any other game you can think of that you can do at
work. It is easy to tie training material or contests to it. For example with the dunk tank, have a
competition where your employees think of new ways to increase business. The top ideas get free
tickets to throw at the dunk tank.
Creating a company sports team- Every big city has leagues where you can sign teams up to
play against others. Why not create a company team to join one of these leagues! By creating a sports
team you are not only getting employees more involved with the company, but you are also getting
them to work together and get to know each other more which will increase teamwork and
communication. There are many sports that require no real past experience or expensive equipment.
Create an outside marketing campaign- Maybe your business has a product that you can sell or
promote easily outside. The weather drives people out to do outdoor activities. Some of these people
may be potential customers for your company. Build a marketing campaign to get your company out
there with the general public. For example, if you own a clothing line you can create a portable booth to
take to popular outdoor hangouts and sell/advertise your product. There are many things you can do to
find sales opportunities outside which can also get your employees involved in.
The ideas and possibilities are endless as to what you could really do. These sorts of activities
may help end that dry spell of no new ideas or help give you the next great company plan! It is up to you
as an owner to encourage people to participate in activities that may help your business be more fun
and grow. If you are not good with ideas, why not create a committee within your company to come up
with the ideas for you. You can also hiring consulting companies that offer these services to help you
find out what sort of activities are right for you.
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