Help Your Team Stay Motivated When the Workweek Shrinks

When the days get shorter, temperatures drop and business slows, it’s easy for motivation to dip, too. When you or your coworkers need a boost, turn to the ideas in this list to stay energized and productive all winter long.

Encourage Personal Change

1. Offer energizing snacks. Bring in a bowl of fruit and bottles of flavored water to help everyone choose healthy snacks and stay hydrated. Healthy eating is important all year, but especially when energy is low.

2. Brainstorm while walking. When the weather and sunlight allow, take a walk alone or with others. The movement will boost endorphins, dopamine and creativity. No sidewalks nearby? Try walking at a local gym or mall. If staff members have unused treadmills they’d like to donate, set them up in an office where coworkers can walk during breaks or meetings.  

3. Invite a wellness expert. A nutritionist, massage therapist or sleep expert can share helpful insights during a lunch-and-learn. For maximum participation, ask your coworkers what topics would interest them most.

4. Match your work to your energy level. Work on your hardest to-do items during your peak energy hours. When your focus or stamina starts to fade, switch to a smaller or easier task. You may find that completing a quick win gives you the boost you need to dive back into the tougher work.

5. Turn to something novel. When you struggle to do even the easiest tasks, wake your brain by focusing on something new. Try a stretch you’re not familiar with, change your work location, learn how to say thank you in a foreign language, brighten your computer screen or write with a brightly colored marker or computer font.

Revisit Work Routines

1. Light things up! Do you typically keep the office lights low? Increase the wattage for a few months or open the blinds and let in natural light. The bright space will help everyone feel energized and ready to take on the day. 

2. Add music. Ask everyone to suggest a motivating song and create a playlist that runs in the break room. (Depending on the songs, you might find yourself or others moving to the beat. Instant energy!)

3. Try stand-up check-ins. Rather than a long sit-down meeting that has everyone saying they need a nap, schedule a short standing gathering. Standing will encourage short and lively discussions and a quick return to work. If you haven’t tried them, these tips will get you started.

4. Set realistic seasonal goals. Nothing is more demotivating than working toward impossible-to-reach targets. Learn about SMART goals to meet business aspirations and keep motivation high. 

5. Block out time. If you need to be head-down on a project, mark your calendar as busy and turn off notifications. Tell others under what circumstances they can interrupt you and empower them to take on more than usual.

Create Fun or Host Friendly Competition

1. Celebrate themed Fridays. Choose a theme, decorate, play music in the breakroom and dress for the occasion. Schedule a reveal, where everyone can gather to show off their outfits.

2. Host a winter sprint. Have each person or team choose a task they’ve been putting off and dedicate weekly time to working on it. Celebrate each completed task by ringing a bell, giving out a special button or awarding a trophy the person or team can hang onto until someone else completes a task.

3. Make progress visible. Are your employees visually motivated? Add a marble to a vase, hang a banner on the wall or add a piece of a jumbo jigsaw puzzle every time a milestone is reached. 

4. Plan quick game breaks. Is your team working on an exceptionally hard project? Surprise them with an invitation to place a few minute-to-win-it games you’ve set up. A five- or 10-minute break can increase morale, strengthen team bonds and put everyone in a good mood to return to the work at hand. 

5. Turn goals into contests. Is your company preparing for spring or summer initiatives? Start now. If you don’t have anything in mind, consider these methods for increasing sales. Include everyone across the organization and offer small prizes for top ideas, new contacts or outstanding effort.

Winter can test motivation. But with a few thoughtful habits, tweaks to your routine and bursts of fun, everyone can stay upbeat until the days grow longer, the temperatures rise and business increases.