Here in South Louisiana the summer heat is in full force, and you can tell just by looking at my yard. With severe drought and daily temps in the 90′s , my grass looks, well, a little piqued. Since I’ve begun a daily watering campaign, though, the grass has perked up a bit and I’m seeing less brown and more green every day. (And green contributions – towards my water bill, that is – are welcome!)

Work teams can suffer from the same ailment – and the problem has nothing to do with the summer heat. If your team is suffering from the blahs, you may need to revive it.

They say that familiarity breeds contempt. Contempt may be a bit strong, but I would agree that familiarity can breed apathy, irritation, impatience, and intolerance, though. When you’ve worked with someone for a while, you can start to take their contributions for granted – even become annoyed with their little quirks and habits. Like in any relationship, we sometimes need to be reminded of the value they bring to the team.

Work can also become boring, stressful, or unchallenging. After being in the same job for years, team members can get as burnt out and faded as my grass.

If team members have become a bit jaded, (fatigued, overworked, apathetic, unappreciative, cynical) by their work, as a leader you can revitalize and rejuvenate them without spending a lot of green. Here are a couple of ids:

• Try to bring some fun into the workplace. This could be in the form of po-boys or pizza delivered for lunch, a weekly drawing for prizes, a football pool, (of course, you may have to base it on high school or college football games at the rate the NFL is going!) fun awards when you “catch someone doing good”, or playful awards for doing something silly or embarrassing. You could hold friendly contests, (maybe rif off of one of the popular “reality” TV shows), with proceeds going to a charitable cause, put together a competitive team of some kind – sports, trivia, etc., and celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and accomplishments. If appropriate you may even have themed dress or dress-down days. There are tons of things you can do to introduce some lightheartedness into your work environment. Have some fun!
• Schedule a team retreat where team members come to understand and appreciate each other better. This is best held away from work with a professional facilitator, and perhaps meals and refreshments served. (I work with many clients in this capacity and can tell you first-hand the long-term benefits of holding such a retreat. Give me a call or drop me a line to schedule one for your team.) And no, this does not mean that you will be holding hands and singing “Kumbaya”. (Maybe “We Are the World”, but never “Kumbaya”!)
• People need to know that they are making a difference. Remind team members of the bigger picture and how their contributions count towards the greater good. Acknowledge, thank, and praise people every chance you get. I know one manager who makes it a point to have lots of gift cards to popular retail stores on-hand. When someone really performs and produces, they are promptly rewarded with a gift card for their efforts.
• If possible, encourage employees to take some time off to rest, relax, and recharge their batteries. I know this may not be an option for those without vacation time, but where possible, encourage people to really “unplug” once in a while.
• Provide growth opportunities for team members by giving them new, challenging responsibilities, or by allowing them to cross-train, take professional development classes or learn a new skill that interests them.

You’ll make your competition green with envy (sorry I couldn’t help myself!) if you “Go Green” in your work environment. You will have more engaged, energized, and enthusiastic team members. And remember, happy people are productive people.

Get creative!

Action Time! What will you:

• start doing,
• stop doing, or
• continue doing or do differently

to revitalize your work environment and rejuvenate your team members? Share your ideas with us in the comment section below.