Today marks the beginning of summer (and if you didn’t know this, you need to take a day off). By the time you read this, the actual summer solstice will have passed (6:07 am EDT), and we’ll be well into the longest day of daylight (in the northern hemisphere) this year.
This is the time of the year when I “gently remind” leaders to make sure that they embrace and enjoy the season, and don’t let it zoom by without taking time to enjoy it. For years, clients have resolved to lighten their schedule to enjoy the summer only to reach September and wonder what happened to those plans.
So if you want to enjoy summer, make a date with your calendar and schedule some well-deserved time off.
This is also a great time to arrange for activity with your staff. One of my clients, for example, is participating in a fundraiser for a non-profit where its staff and family members will enjoy summer games and activities. The firm does “double good” by being a sponsor for the fundraiser and by providing a fun evening for their employees.
Think about what you can do before it’s too late to plan. Summer has a lighter tone and people are more relaxed when they participate in some company sponsored activities.
You don’t need to take the lead on this. Turn it over to your managers and let them handle it. It will result in more engagement and a positive element of surprise when the company sponsors such events.
If you want to do some teambuilding, this is a perfect opportunity to bring everyone together and have some fun. Even if you don’t, why not build stronger relationships in a less pressured environment.
Happy summer!
