Motivational ways to overcome the mid-year slump

Forget the midweek slump, the mid-year slump is here and it can slow your staff down mentally and physically. That’s right, your employees are likely feeling the drag of a long six months and the (mostly) frosty winter conditions aren’t helping.

As their manager, you can change all that by providing motivational ways to overcome the mid-year slump. Support your staff with positive experiences now and you’ll have a more engaged workforce in no time. 

Create new goals

Everyone needs something to work towards when motivation levels reach zero so the middle of the year is the perfect time to create new goals. Consider setting new targets for your team’s daily output and productivity. If they’ve recently completed another major task, reevaluate it and include them in the assessment and feedback process. 

Sit down with your team and see what goals they have. Work with them to find out how they see their performance over the past six months and where they would like to go from here. You can gauge just how interested they are regarding current projects and what might inspire a fresh burst of enthusiasm in the months ahead.

Encourage holidays

Annual leave can be taboo for some staff as there are businesses where it feels like asking for time off is a no-no. It’s best to be a flexible manager and encourage your staff to take time off. Annual leave is there to be accessed. June to August is a great time to access it; there are fewer public holidays in quick succession, while parents could match their time off with the July school holidays. 

Be proactive in approaching staff about taking a week off. Talk about how they feel, address signs of burnout and work out the best possible outcome for them and your team.

Invest in training and education

We talk about education and training a lot at Hello Leaders because it’s one of the best tools to engage your staff with. Everyone loves to learn, especially when it provides essential experience to benefit professional and personal outcomes. 

Training courses are an excellent way to engage your staff experiencing a mid-year slump. You can either identify what training is most appropriate for your team or approach them for ideas; some might be interested in personal development over professional development.

Don’t forget your end of financial year (EOFY) budget can also be used for training courses that may be tax deductible.

Plan a team adventure

When it feels like work has overtaken everything it’s time to plan an adventure to get out of the office. The change in scenery breaks up the monotony and it gives your workers a chance to interact with each other in a new setting. Activity ideas could be:

• Sporty: Barefoot lawn bowls, yoga, bowling
• Creative: Paint and sip, arts and crafts, concerts
• Social: Wine tasting, brunch, family day at a park

Provide some flexibility

There are several ways in which you can rejuvenate your team through a flexible approach to work. For example, support mental health and well-being days which will allow your staff to rest or take care of personal tasks they haven’t had the time to. 

Depending on the size of your team and the department you work in, a change in team dynamic could even provide the necessary flexibility. Think of it like breaking up the status quo; you’re challenging staff by placing them in a new role, team or environment. 

Just be sure to include them in the process. Some staff might not want change, while others could be itching for new responsibilities if stuck in a rut.

Reward personal achievements

Staff love to be recognised in a genuine way and they deserve to be rewarded for their achievements. So consider holding a mid-year awards ceremony! It doesn’t have to be anything glamorous, perhaps just lunch at a restaurant or after-work drinks with your team. But it should be a social occasion celebrating your team for all their hard work. 

Take time to recognise career achievements and milestones, acknowledge key contributions to projects, and thank those who have gone above and beyond the normal call of duty. And if you do want to throw some icing on the cake, hand out a couple of awards (or rewards) for staff who deserve the most praise and thanks. Chances are it could give them a positive spark to keep working hard for the rest of the year.