Keeping your staff motivated and engaged day in and day out can be a challenge. This is especially true on certain days of the week. While some people can happily and easily get right back into the swing of things on Monday morning, others require a little more effort to get out of the weekend mindset. Likewise, one of the consequences of a 5 day work week is that people are tired and restless by the end of it, making Friday afternoons seem like a drag. It is important, however, that companies be deliberate about making Mondays and Fridays just as productive as any other day of the week. Here are a few simple tricks that can inspire and motivate your employees to be their best even on these difficult days.
Plan Ahead
It can be difficult to walk in Monday morning and try to plan your whole day. You might feel tired, sluggish, and even a little depressed to be back at work. Your day would get off to a much better start if you had a list of to-do’s waiting for you on your desk when you walked in Monday morning. Help your employees resist the urge to procrastinate by encouraging them to draw up a list of tasks on Friday afternoons. This can help fill that Friday afternoon void and also help them hit the ground running first thing on Monday morning.
Provide Healthy Snacks
Food equals fuel and this ultimately leads to better productivity. Another simple way to get more out of your team during these difficult times is to provide a little sustenance. This doesn’t mean sugary doughnuts and batches of cookies. Rather, choose some healthier options such as granola bars, fruit trays, breakfast sandwiches or some gourmet coffee. Your employees will appreciate the gesture and they will be more energized to get their work done.
Avoid Meetings on Mondays
It is common for companies to hold a meeting on Monday morning thinking that the beginning of the week is the perfect time to sit down and discuss that week’s goals. However, you should never plan for a week while you’re in it. That means meetings should be held on the Friday before so that you already have a plan in place when employees walk in Monday morning. Another benefit to Friday meetings is that you can review what has happened during that week while also setting fresh goals for the upcoming week.
Allow for Casual Wear
Mondays and Fridays can be a drag but an easy way to lighten the mood and keep employees motivated is to designate one or both of these days to be “casual day.” It costs the company nothing to offer this benefit, yet it is a perk that many employees enjoy and look forward to. It is a good way to infuse a little fun into the workplace without having to do anything that would detract from productivity. In fact, most employees would agree that they actually feel more productive when they are comfortable.
The Email Challenge
Want to make Fridays a little more interesting all while keeping your employees engaged? This great idea is fun and super easy. Tell your team that you will be sending out an email at an unspecified time during the day with a trivia question. The first one to respond with the correct answer wins a prize. Your team will be checking their emails on a consistent basis throughout the day, keeping them focused on their work. It is also a great way to have a little fun and give your employees something to look forward to on Fridays.