It’s January. The entire new year lies ahead, dripping with opportunity and possibility. Your business is well positioned for growth, the team has enjoyed a replenishing end of year break, healthy new year’s resolutions have been locked in, and the problems of the world seem so 2018.
Beat the post-holiday blues with our 10 ideas to help get your employees morale back up.
1. Start With The Simple Stuff
Cleaning up the workplace is a great way to start getting things back on track. It’s amazing how much a difference a clean and tidy desk (that doesn’t have piles of folders and documents filling up the in tray) can have on the psyche.
Do a digital refresh by cleaning out the junk on your laptop, getting rid of old apps, clearing caches, organising emails and running any updates you need on your software. Delete or store any large or old files to give yourself some memory space so you’re not hamstrung by slow speeds (nothing sinks your mood faster than the old spinning wheel of death).
2. Celebrate The Return
Before the holiday break, workplaces are filled with pre-Christmas celebrations and it is an extremely busy time of year for everyone, at an operational and social level. This can really keep a team engaged.
Employees aim to get everything done before the break, knowing they can have a relaxing time and will come back feeling refreshed. Then they come back to nothing.
A great suggestion is to see how you can celebrate the return, acknowledging the new year, new opportunities and new challenges. Celebrate the fact that people are returning to work and create an environment that everyone looks forward to coming to.
3. Acknowledge The Reality
It would be ideal for everyone to return to work feeling refreshed however all workplaces know that there will be a level of dissatisfaction when returning from the holiday period. It is important to acknowledge the reality of the return and find ways they can re-engage with their work environment.
4. Plan Some Fun
Getting the team together for some quality bonding is always a great way to build a little buzz. Why not think about some healthy activities like:
- Yoga in the park
- Team sports day
- Walking groups
- Bike ride / scooter / zipline adventures
- Cooking classes
- Start a social touch football or netball team
- Kayaking
- Horse Riding
If a bit of indulgence is more in order, you could look at some of these activities:
- Movie night
- Wine tasting
- Catch a band
- Art gallery excursion
- Try a new restaurant
- Boat cruise
5. Brain Food
Don’t just stop at the fun and physical stuff, plan out activity for the year that feeds the mind and stimulates your team’s intellectual firepower. Here are a few ideas:
- Lunch and learn sessions
- Share Podcast and webinar ideas and join up
- Sign up for industry events or seminars
- Professional Development Workshop
- Community Volunteering
6. Reconnect With Your ‘Holiday Self’
After taking a break for the holidays we come back and are suppose to feel rejuvenated. Well, that’s what we think we will feel. Unfortunately that’s not always the reality.
The reason why is we fall in love with our holiday identity and love the lifestyle and routine we were in when on holiday. Our ‘holiday self’ is often more relaxed, social, carefree and adventurous.
Post-holiday, all the things we managed before the break, appear boring and dreary. We sometimes forget how to think openly and have a positive outlook. This could be a good time to reflect on how serious and stressed you may have become at work, that may need some self-development to improve your life.
It’s important to remember that the holiday blues will pass as you get back into the responsibilities and routines of life.
7. Get Busy With Career Goals
After an enjoyable holiday season and some downtime to reflect, team members may come back and seem disengaged. The hard part for the employer is that nothing has changed, the employee has just had some time to reflect. This is your chance to re-engage them after the holiday season through ways such as goal setting and ensure you are always supporting them. A great idea is to run a career development planning session.
8. Set 2019 Holiday Goals
The best antidote to holidays being over? Book another holiday. By booking your next holiday now, you can give yourself something to look forward to, and reduce that feeling of being stuck back in the routine. Somehow getting that Sales Forecast spreadsheet done seems easier when you know you’re off to check out the bright lights of New York or beautiful Sydney later in the year.
9. Hold A Staff Brainstorm Session
Getting your staff involved and asking them to help shape the year ahead is a positive way to encourage involvement and enthusiasm.
10. Be A Leader And A Role Model
As leaders, we set the tone for others to follow. What we do coupled with how we do it lays the foundation for our organisational culture.
With the new year starting, share your goals and visions for your organisation and plan for the year ahead.
Beating The Blues - Make It A Habit
With this list of great ideas to implement, there’s no need for your workplace to fall into the usual new year slump. So why not tap into that latent energy of your team and set a positive course for 2019? When you make it a business habit for the start of every year you’ll be giving yourself the best chance of success, and you just might have some fun in the process