A couple of months ago, we gave our top tips for making the most of the summer while you’re at home or in the office.

If you’re an organisation that values time off and some much-needed R&R, you’ll no doubt be welcoming team members back from their summer holidays right now. But if you have any parents among you, they’ll also be faced with the task of getting their kids motivated for the new school year ahead – while memories of the long summer holidays are still fresh in their minds.

This got us thinking about keeping your team engaged at this time of year; we’re not all that different to kids really! Should we see this as a laborious task? Or, is it an opportunity to re-evaluate how things work and re-engage our people in their roles?

With that in mind, we’ve come up with our top five ways to kick-start September and inspire your teams:

1. Brainstorm
Whether it’s ideas for making improvements or sharing thoughts that have sprung to mind over the summer, getting together with colleagues can invigorate and energise the most cynical of people.

2. Set some goals
Need something to work towards? Giving your team a purpose can help to ignite that bit of extra fire in their bellies. Why not add an incentive or reward for those who reach their goal too?

3. Transform your workspace
A change of environment can revive workplace energy – just what you need in September! Be sure to let your team have a say in the décor, switch around the office layout, add a couple of stand-up desks and decorate walls or spaces with your team’s latest projects.

4. Get flexible
After a summer holiday filled with family time, it can be a bit of a wrench to jump straight back into the 9 to 5. Allowing an early finish or two to pick the kids up for an extra couple of hours of quality time will have a massive impact – and you’ll benefit from more engaged parents in the workplace.

5. Show the love
A bit of recognition goes a long way! It’s often cited as THE most crucial factor in driving engagement. At a time of the year when the post-holiday blues set in, there’s no better time to kick start a culture of thanks and appreciation. There are lots of ways you can do this and our recognition tools could help.