<p>A survey of American workers found that 45 percent of employees reported being more distracted over the summer. In addition, studies find that attendance drops by 20 percent.</p><p><br></p><p>Entrepreneurs can keep their employees motivated by ensuring their jobs include five characteristics.</p>

Motivating employees

<ul><li><strong>Task Autonomy</strong>. Give employees the flexibility and independence to do their job. This will increase job satisfaction and well-being.</li><li><strong>Task significance</strong>. Help employees understand the importance of the tasks they're performing. As a result, employees are motivated when they do work that matters.</li><li><strong>Task identity</strong>. Employees need to understand how their work contributes to a larger whole.</li><li><strong>Task variety</strong> will keep employees engaged and avoid monotony.</li><li><strong>Timely feedback</strong> will help employees know how they're doing.</li></ul>

Ways to increase productivity in summer months

<img alt="" src="data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg height='1080' width='1920' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' version='1.1'%3E%3C/svg%3E" width="495" height="278"><p>Productivity</p><div dir="ltr"><h1 dir="ltr">5 Ways to Boost Employee Productivity in the Summer Months</h1><h3 dir="ltr"> Summer is here and with the world opening back up, employees may want to be anywhere but the workplace. Here are fi ways to motivate them and boost productivity. </h3></div><div><span dir="ltr">By  ANGÉLICA S. GUTIÉRREZ</span></div><img alt="" src="https://incafrica.com/images/Ellipse-avatar.png" width="50" height="50"><p dir="ltr">Summer is here and with the world opening up again, employers may find it more difficult to <a href="https://incafrica.com/library/bubba-page-7-motivations-at-work-beyond-money" dir="ltr">keep employees motivated</a> to work.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">In a <a href="https://officepulse.captivate.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Captivate-Summer-Hours-Release-Final.pdf" dir="ltr">survey</a> of 600 American workers, 45 percent reported being more distracted over the summer, and studies find that attendance drops by 20 percent. An Amex Trendex online <a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/travel/discover/get-inspired/global-travel-trends" dir="ltr">poll</a> found that 76 percent of respondents are planning to travel more than they did in 2021.</p><p>Competing with dream destinations, piña coladas on the beach, putting on the greens, and water parks with the family can be tough, so what can entrepreneurs do to keep their employees motivated? Ensure that the jobs your employees are performing have these five characteristics:</p><h2>1. Task Autonomy</h2><p>Provide employees with flexibility and independence to do their job. This helps provide a sense of ownership, which can lead to higher quality work.&nbsp;</p><p>Employees who have supervisors that encourage them to take initiative tend to report higher levels of job satisfaction and psychological well-being, relative to employees who work with employers with a controlling style.</p><h2>2. Task Significance</h2><p>Help employees understand the importance of the work they're performing. Studies find that employees are motivated to do work that matters, and that has the potential to impact other people inside or outside of the company.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://hbr.org/2011/06/how-customers-can-rally-your-troops" dir="ltr">A study</a> by Adam Grant found that fundraisers who were responsible for securing scholarship donations from university alumni were more motivated (and actually secured more pledges and donations) when they met scholarship recipients and understood the direct impact of their work.</p><h2>3. Task Identity</h2><p>Help employees understand how the work that they're doing contributes to a larger whole. Just as some people are motivated to complete a puzzle when they're able to see the artwork (end goal) that they're working toward, employees may derive greater satisfaction from their work when they understand how it fits into the bigger picture.</p><h2>4. Task Variety</h2><p dir="ltr">Provide employees with tasks that allow them to use a variety of skills. Such tasks can not only help employees apply and strengthen their skills, but also keep employees engaged (and avoid monotony). As the German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/660181-the-two-enemies-of-human-happiness-are-pain-and-boredom" dir="ltr">noted</a>, "The two enemies of human happiness (and I'd add, motivation) are pain and boredom."</p><h2>5. Timely Feedback</h2><p>Provide employees with frequent feedback (not necessarily daily, but certainly more often than the annual performance evaluation). This will help them know how they're doing and gain an understanding of the areas that need improvement, as well as the areas in which they're doing well.&nbsp;</p><p>This type of balanced feedback can increase not only employees' motivation but also their self-efficacy.</p><p dir="ltr">The above characteristics are derived from <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0030507376900167?via%3Dihub" dir="ltr">The Job Characteristics Model</a> designed by Hackman and Oldham in 1976. Nearly half a century later, companies continue to effectively use this model to keep employees engaged and productive even during the summer months.</p><p>Small businesses, particularly those with limited budgets, have found that motivating employees does not have to cost more money.&nbsp;</p><p>Provided employees receive compensation that they believe is commensurate with their effort, adding intrinsic motivators-- providing feedback, task variety, autonomy and conveying to employees that you appreciate their effort and that their work matters, can help increase productivity, job satisfaction, and retention.</p><p>This article was originally published in the original United States edition of Inc. or on inc.com and is the copyright property of Mansueto Ventures LLC, which reserves all rights. Copyright © Mansueto Ventures LLC.</p><p>Written on: Jun 07, 2022</p><p>Newsletter</p>

Summer is here and with the world opening back up, employees may want to be anywhere but the workplace. Here are fi ways to motivate them and boost productivity.

productivity

Productivity

humanresources

Human Resources

5 Ways to Boost Employee Productivity in the Summer Months

<p>Summer is here and with the world opening up again, employers may find it more difficult to <a href="https://incafrica.com/library/bubba-page-7-motivations-at-work-beyond-money">keep employees motivated </a>to work.  </p>

<p>In a <a href="https://officepulse.captivate.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Captivate-Summer-Hours-Release-Final.pdf">survey </a>of 600 American workers, 45 percent reported being more distracted over the summer, and studies find that attendance drops by 20 percent. An Amex Trendex online <a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/travel/discover/get-inspired/global-travel-trends">poll </a>found that 76 percent of respondents are planning to travel more than they did in 2021. </p>

<p>Competing with dream destinations, piña coladas on the beach, putting on the greens, and water parks with the family can be tough, so what can entrepreneurs do to keep their employees motivated? Ensure that the jobs your employees are performing have these five characteristics: </p>

<p>Provide employees with flexibility and independence to do their job. This helps provide a sense of ownership, which can lead to higher quality work.  </p>

<p>Employees who have supervisors that encourage them to take initiative tend to report higher levels of job satisfaction and psychological well-being, relative to employees who work with employers with a controlling style. </p>

<p>Help employees understand the importance of the work they're performing. Studies find that employees are motivated to do work that matters, and that has the potential to impact other people inside or outside of the company.  </p>

<p><a href="https://hbr.org/2011/06/how-customers-can-rally-your-troops">A study </a>by Adam Grant found that fundraisers who were responsible for securing scholarship donations from university alumni were more motivated (and actually secured more pledges and donations) when they met scholarship recipients and understood the direct impact of their work. </p>

<p>Help employees understand how the work that they're doing contributes to a larger whole. Just as some people are motivated to complete a puzzle when they're able to see the artwork (end goal) that they're working toward, employees may derive greater satisfaction from their work when they understand how it fits into the bigger picture. </p>

<p>Provide employees with tasks that allow them to use a variety of skills. Such tasks can not only help employees apply and strengthen their skills, but also keep employees engaged (and avoid monotony). As the German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/660181-the-two-enemies-of-human-happiness-are-pain-and-boredom">noted </a>, "The two enemies of human happiness (and I'd add, motivation) are pain and boredom." </p>

<p>Provide employees with frequent feedback (not necessarily daily, but certainly more often than the annual performance evaluation). This will help them know how they're doing and gain an understanding of the areas that need improvement, as well as the areas in which they're doing well.  </p>

<p>This type of balanced feedback can increase not only employees' motivation but also their self-efficacy. </p>

<p>The above characteristics are derived from <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0030507376900167?via%3Dihub">The Job Characteristics Model </a>designed by Hackman and Oldham in 1976. Nearly half a century later, companies continue to effectively use this model to keep employees engaged and productive even during the summer months. </p>

<p>Small businesses, particularly those with limited budgets, have found that motivating employees does not have to cost more money.  </p>

<p>Provided employees receive compensation that they believe is commensurate with their effort, adding intrinsic motivators-- providing feedback, task variety, autonomy and conveying to employees that you appreciate their effort and that their work matters, can help increase productivity, job satisfaction, and retention. </p>

<p>This article was originally published in the original United States edition of Inc. or on inc.com and is the copyright property of Mansueto Ventures LLC, which reserves all rights. Copyright © Mansueto Ventures LLC. </p>

5 Ways to Boost Employee Productivity in the Summer Months

Motivating employees

Ways to increase productivity in summer months

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