Like most employees, you may be daydreaming about fun summer activities rather than focusing on your work. However, being mentally present at the office results in stronger relationships, greater productivity, reduced stress and increased enjoyment of life. As a result, you want to stay focused at work and leave the daydreaming for your time away from the office.

Be Present

Set intentions throughout the day to focus on what you are doing until it is completed. During breaks and away from work, practice mindfulness to increase your attention span. Be aware of how your thoughts create judgments that drive your emotions, such as “I would rather be at the beach than at work,” so you can let go of the thoughts, judgments and emotions that are not self-serving.

Communicate Value

Ask for and offer ongoing constructive feedback about work performance, so everyone can improve their output. Demonstrate company culture in all interactions to convey whom you hire, how you manage, how your team communicates and what your company values. Focusing on adding value to the work environment keeps your mind on your responsibilities rather than what you plan to do over the weekend.

Gamify Team Goals  

If your sales team needs to reach monthly targets, provide fun rewards as incentives, such as ringing a gong every time someone makes a sale. Add up each member’s points and let the winner choose where the team goes for happy hour. Or, increase communication between departments by creating cross-departmental teams that work toward points for quarterly prizes. Points may be given for going above and beyond to help the team or for completing tasks beyond one’s job description. Add up each team’s points to see who decides where to go on the next company outing. Everyone will be more engaged in friendly competition than in what they are doing after work.

Engage With Others

Rather than sending an email, choose appropriate times for conveying information face-to-face. Give credit for others’ ideas, opinions and contributions to projects. Speak up during meetings and encourage others to join in. Be clear and concise when talking, so others remain engaged in the conversation and understand what you are saying. In addition, ask open-ended questions to gain additional information and enhance the conversation. Your work will be on your mind rather than playing volleyball in the sand.

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