8 Ways To Encourage Employee Motivation During Dreary Winter Months

Thursday, 16 November 2017 09:51

Sometimes mustering motivation for an early morning alarm clock is tough, even more so in the winter months when it is cold and snowing outside, but your bedroom is nice and cozy. With daylight savings in full swing, Thanksgiving right around the corner and December following quickly on its heels, we have some tips to keep your employees motivated all the way through the winter.

Get Physical

It is hard to stay energized when you feel like you are couped up in at a desk all day. One of the best ways to keep employee motivation up is to keep the activity up too. Maybe you bring in a yoga instructor on a slow afternoon for an office zen session or you share tips with your staff on how to squeeze in so easy exercises at their desk – no matter how you do it, encouraging your employees to get up and get active will keep them motivated and productive, even during the bleakest winter days.

Hot Chocolate Breaks

If you already have your redcup water cooler, you have hot water on tap – literally! Pick up some hot chocolate packages from your local bulk retailer for a steal and encourage your employees to stay motivated with an afternoon sweet treat. It provides the perfect break for when most people start to slide into a 3pm slump to re-energize and bond as a team. Plus who doesn't love chocolate?

Winter Playlist

Another opportunity for your staff to bond and to keep your employees motivated is to create an office playlist for the winter. Everyone can submit their all-time favorite classic, the latest hit or both to compile a pumped-up playlist. You can add them all on a music streaming service and share a link with the office.

Plan A Staff Vacation

A holiday party or staff outing is the perfect way to break up those dull winter months and give your employees something to look forward to. By getting your team out of the office to do something fun, breaking from their normal routine, keeping your employees motivated will be a breeze!

Healthy Snacks

Providing healthy snacks in the common areas of your office is always a nice change of pace. Many employees are likely considering New Year's resolutions of losing that last 10 pounds or slipping into their old skinny jeans, so swapping out the holiday cookies for fresh fruit or a high protein FlapJacked muffin supports their goals and helps keep them on track at the office. Talk about a win-win!

Office Resolutions

Work with your staff to develop goals for your organization or teams within it. Display the goals for the office so they know exactly what they are working towards. Bringing your employees into the goal setting process allows them to take some ownership in their work and stay motivated.

Go Germ Free

Winter is not only a time of decreased motivation but also of increased illness. Help your employees stay healthy by increasing the availability of hand sanitizer, especially in common areas and near tissue boxes. You may even want to consider an office stash of immune boosters like Vitamin C. Healthy employees are much more easily motivated to come to work.

Put A Happy Hour On The Calendar

Encourage your team to get together after work for a happy hour filled with winter themed drinks. Break out the egg nog or the mulled cider and have a no-pressure evening of fun.

With these easy-to-implement ideas, your office will be full of life, even when it is cold and gray outside.