Summer holidays. Sigh. No alarm. No emails. Just relaxing.  Even without taking a break, employees have likely enjoyed a slower pace at work over the summer as others go away, there tends to be fewer  meetings and they may even enjoy early-finish Friday.  When things get back to normal, Autumn is knocking on the door, and it’s time to return to work ‘properly’, then holiday blues may prevail.

Following a few tried and tested top tips will help leaders to reconnect with their team, ensuring focus for the next few months – before Christmas strikes!!

Autumn is time to POWER UP!

Reignite the passion in your team by following our top tips that will re-energise your team and set the tone for the months ahead. Remember, the key to re-engagement lies in understanding and addressing the needs of your employees, ensuring they feel valued and supported. You must listen to your team and when needed, flex your plans to keep everyone inspired and raring to go. 

The Hour Hands top tips to inspire your team after summer

1. Take the time to welcome everyone back – A simple gesture can go a long way – leave something on the desk (chocolate, biscuits, a new pen?) and ask people about their summer. This will help to rekindle the community spirit and ensure everyone feels valued.

You may even wish to hold a social event or team building day to allow people a chance to talk and share stories about the summer.

2. Be clear about short and long-term goals – Set a clear direction for the next few months by sharing or reiterating your short and longer term goals. This creates a sense of purpose and ensures that everyone is working towards a common goal. Where possible, add a sense of excitement by talking about opportunities for the business and individuals.

You may even wish to announce an incentive for when the goals are met. This may be financial or a whole team recognition and reward programme. 

 3. Introduce new projects – Linked to tip #2, post-summer is a great time to introduce new projects. After enjoying a break, your team is likely to be buzzing with creativity and may be ready for a new challenge. 

You may wish to offer training courses opportunities to support your team to meet the new challenges. This signals that you are willing to invest in their personal development thus enhancing loyalty and wellbeing.

 4. Promote a work/life balance –  Employees returning from holidays might struggle with getting back into the habit of balancing their professional and personal life. By offering and promoting flexibility can help set boundaries whilst easing the transition back to work. 

You could offer 1-2-1 discussions in September to check in with your team and understand any changes in circumstances. This also ensures that your employees feel listened to and builds trust between you both.  

5. A great time for a fresh start – September is a great time to renew the future direction of your business and ensure that everyone is on board. Think of it as a ‘fresh start’ when niggling issues are addressed and if needed, goals are reset.  By demonstrating genuine empathy and positivity, you can successfully reignite the passion and commitment of your team, ultimately increasing productivity. 

You may feel able to address a big problem that you’ve been aware of for a while but didn’t have the capacity to address before the summer. Approach the issue with empathy for any individuals involved but be firm about what needs to be done to prevent the problem causing damage to the business or your future plans.

How the flexible Hour Hands EA team can support your business this Autumn

Whilst planning for the months ahead, you may determine that you need additional support. Rather than leaping in and employing new people, consider outsourcing some tasks to Hour Hands.  Hour Hands has experienced Personal Assistants and talented bookkeepers ready to support you with those tasks that you just don’t ever seem to have the time to complete.

By outsourcing your tasks, you can flex when you need support – be it ongoing support or for a one-off project or resolving a particular task, without taking on the commitments that come with having permanent employees. 

To find out more simply visit our website or call us on 01727 818262. We will ask how we can support you and offer a solution either on an hourly rate or package cost. The choice is yours – we simply want to help.