Culture is Key For Your Social Sustainability Strategy
How to Keep Employees Motivated Through the Winter Blues
Blue Monday. It’s not especially scientific, but ask any worker how they feel when their alarm goes off on a Monday morning in January, and it’s a fair bet that they won’t be springing out of bed with verve and enthusiasm. Blue Monday, the third Monday in January, has been awarded the dubious moniker of the saddest day of the year, thanks to a combination of dark days, cold weather and the arrival of Christmas credit card bills. If you’re a boss, don’t take it personally – studies suggest that humans may once have hibernated during winter, and our bodies and brains are still primed to slow down at this time of year.
Nevertheless, there are ways to support and encourage your team through the darkest days of winter, and the good news is that it can help you achieve your ESG goals and bolster employee engagement at the same time. Why? Because your social sustainability isn’t just about how your organization engages with its community (although that’s important too). Your employees are a core part of that community, and by creating a culture that recognizes the humanness of your employees, you’ll be contributing to a society where people feel safe to be themselves. Even when that self is grouchy and in need of more coffee than usual.
Here are 3 ways to steer your team through the January blues:
Treat the Work Day as Two Shifts
Working all day, only to step out into an already-dark, cold world isn’t much fun, but with our ‘always on’ culture, many people find it hard to take a proper break during the day. By encouraging your team to see their day as two shifts, a morning shift and an evening shift, you create tacit permission to take a break in the middle of the day. Even if they’re just popping out to grab a sandwich, or taking the dog for a walk if they’re working remotely, exposure to sunlight and some time away from the desk can do wonders for mood, and motivation.
Meeting-Free Friday
One particularly soul-sapping side effect of pandemic life for office workers has been the dramatic increase in time spent in meetings. Where once a problem could be solved by strolling over to a colleague’s desk for a five minute chat (with the added benefits of stretching your legs and getting some human interaction), now every small issue has become a half-hour Zoom call. It’s increasingly hard for employees to get the actual work of their jobs done, leading to burnout and Zoom fatigue. A number of organizations are recognizing this, and helping staff to manage their time by making Friday free of meetings. This helps staff catch up, and end their week feeling more in control and able to spend guilt-free time doing the things weekends are meant for.
Bring the Beach to You
Many of us are dreaming of lying on a sun-soaked beach right now, but the reality is a little more complicated. That doesn’t mean you can’t bring the beach to you. Why not have a monthly beach party during winter? Before COB on a Friday, employees can order Hawaiian pizzas, a drink of their choice, and throw on a sun hat for an hour of social time. Is it cheesy? It sure is. But a little bit of silliness helps keep things light when the world feels darker than usual.
Just remember to keep the party inside office hours. Not at lunchtime (see point one), and not after hours when employees would rather be with their family or friends. This is a way to show your appreciation, not create another Zoom commitment. Oh, and the boss is picking up the bill, of course!
How is your company keeping teams motivated? Do you recognize this as part of your social sustainability efforts?
