While June feels like yesterday, summer 2017 is coming to a close and that means agencies across the country are gearing up for what inevitably will be a busy – and we’re confident successful – fall!
Summer’s ending is bittersweet in terms of fun, but as we’ve found, sometimes a little fall refresh can help everyone get back on the same page and ready to tackle agency, client and career goals head on. At LPR, we like to adopt a little back-to-school mindset to motivate employees and inspire a sense of comradery for the busy road ahead.
Looking for a fun way to reinvigorate your agency this fall? Here are five ways to cure post-summer blues with some back-to-“school” fun!
Remember the anticipation of finding out your homeroom, class schedules and teachers back in grade school? Well, you can elicit that nostalgia – and bring fun to the office – by throwing a back-to-“school” ice cream social following Labor Day! It can be as simple as an ice cream break – or thorough enough to include a faux class schedule, locker buddy activity and a fall ‘17 school supply list. Whatever it is, nothing beats a little “fun before the storm!”
Perhaps the best part of a new year is a brand new planner and with it, a refreshed mindset and plans for a great next 12 months. September has a similar feel to it – so capitalize on this “back to work” energy with new office supplies. Instead of picking out binders and folders, order for a delivery of fresh new notepads, pens, post-it notes, desk decor and coffee mugs. Agency branded is always nice (we love our LPR-branded gear!), but picking out a few things in everyone’s favorite color is also great. Places like Poppin and MochiThings are great for this. You could even incorporate this into your aforementioned ice cream social to add in another layer of fun. Looking for some more fun swag? The PR Couture shop has some really fun PR-branded gear.
While it’s nice when employees feel comfortable, sometimes staying in the same place for a long time can lead to complacency and boredom. Enter the seating chart switch-up. Just like the thrill of learning who your seat buddies were in grade school, this fun exercise will give employees a new perspective and will ultimately allow them to converse and build relationships with employees they may hardly know.
Cleaning by itself is far from thrilling, but add a fun twist like a happy hour and you can get your office in “go-mode” before the fall craziness begins. To me, a clean office indicates a fresh start, so we like to host pre-Labor Day cleaning parties to ensure we come back ready for business.
While it’s nice when employees feel comfortable, sometimes staying in the same place for a long time can lead to complacency. Enter the seating chart switch-up.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in client or agency goals, but there’s no better time to focus on employee goals than Q3 and Q4 when the major projects begin! Identify your employees’ goals, flip through your plans, and see where upcoming projects and employee goals align. This is a great way to challenge and keep team members fresh, motivated and – most importantly – feeling valued as you hit some exciting (and sometimes stressful) milestones this fall.
By taking advantage of the back to school energy and making for some fun team building (and dessert) your on your way to a morale boost and a productive rest of the year.
