How to deal with workers' summer slumps
UC business professor says seasons can affect employees' productivity
A summer slump featuring a loss in the quantity and quality of work is common, and instead of fretting about it, organizations should just roll with it, a University of Cincinnati business professor told Orlando, Florida-based WKMG's Breakfast With Bridgett.
Scott Dust, an associate management professor at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
Scott Dust, PhD, the Fealy Family Chair in Entrepreneurship and an associate professor in the Department of Management at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, said summertime changes people's psyches. It's seen as a time to rest and reenergize, he said.
Instead of fighting it, organizations can ride the wave of seasonality and align work with the right time, Dust said. Summer can be a good time for training, development and growth.
“Recognize we’re not robots,” Dust said. “You can’t program human beings to have the exact same productivity every day and throughout every season. When you’re equipped with that mindset, start to make some changes strategically that allow you to maximize on the aggregate how everybody’s doing throughout the year. Perhaps in summer focus on development and growth initiatives. Maybe start investing in your culture initiatives perhaps by doing offsites or team development, more training that can get people a little bit more enthusiastic.”
Featured image at top: Man working on his laptop on the beach. Photo/Kemal Esensoy via Unsplash
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