The end of summer is officially here. Vacations and summer Fridays are winding down, kids are heading back to school, and the weather is beginning to flip-flop between summer and fall. With all these shifts happening at once, it’s not surprising that both teams and leaders are feeling stuck in a familiar end-of-summer funk.
Summer can bring a natural slowdown for many organizations. It might include more flexible schedules, lighter workloads, and a general shift in pace. But here’s the thing: as August fades into September, a lot of people struggle to flip that switch and get their productivity momentum back where it needs to be.
Whether you’re leading a team or working as part of one, now is the time to refocus with intention. We’re diving into some real, actionable strategies to help you reignite that spark—so you and your team can head into fall excited and ready to win for the rest of the year.
1. Reflect… then reset
Before you go charging toward fall goals, pump the brakes for a second. Take an honest look at where things stand. What’s working well? What’s not? Where is your team excelling—and where are they stretched too thin?
Encourage leadership to sit down and assess where they and their teams are during this time of year. After all, you have to know where you are before you can get where you’re going. Take inventory of completed projects, progress on current work, and what still needs to happen before the year’s end. Look closely at lingering goals and stalled initiatives that may need renewed attention—or a strategic pivot.
This isn’t just a leadership thing, either. Your whole team needs this moment of hard reset to get clear on what matters to move forward with actual purpose. Make sure reflection becomes part of your regular team meetings so everyone can own their projects and tackle problems while there’s still time to fix them.
2. Re-establish routine
With the chaos of summertime vacations and long weekends, there’s a chance that routines have taken a backseat. Daily structure is key for keeping employees—and projects—on track. Routines not only support productivity, they also signal a return to focus.
Start simple: time-blocking, protecting mornings or afternoons from meetings, and actually scheduling those one-on-ones you keep pushing off or avoiding during the summer. These practices help prioritize deep and concentrated work, minimize distractions, and create space for meaningful progress without micromanagement.
3. Reignite Progress with a Short-Term Challenge
Of course, people want the company to succeed, but what they really want is to win something for themselves… especially if there’s a pot of gold waiting at the end of the productivity rainbow. After a season of slow-moving progress, ignite excitement in your team by proposing a short-term, incentivized challenge.
Set a 30 or 60-day goal. Make it achievable but aspirational and, most importantly, make it measurable, and offer something worth winning. Whether it’s a win for an individual, a team, or the whole company, offer something desirable to help make success a no-brainer.
Short-term wins remind people what success feels like and why they should care. These quick bursts of momentum build confidence and lay the groundwork for a strong finish to the year.
4. Re-engage & Strategize
After a slow summer, your team will need more than new deadlines and a to-do list—they need to feel connected again. Leadership’s energy sets the tone, so schedule real touchpoints where everyone can actually listen and share candid thoughts. Ask what’s working, what’s frustrating them, and what they need to get back on track.
Consider a post-summer kickoff or strategy session. Nothing fancy—just something that signals “we’re back” and gets everyone aligned. Cater some local coffee and bagels for a boost in morale, and don’t forget recognition either. Call out summer’s biggest wins and use them to build momentum for fall.
But here’s where most leaders miss the mark: they forget people need growth, not just goals, and the same goes for the leaders themselves. This recalibration period is perfect for investing in Leadership Development and Strategic Talent Advisory. For those feeling stuck, these programs can help them find clarity and energy again. For leaders, smart coaching investments now improve retention and re-engage high-potential talent who might be quietly weighing their options. When people feel you’re investing in their future—not just squeezing productivity out of them—they stick around and invest their energy back into your organization.
The Bottom Line is…
There’s no magic trick to getting your team back in high productivity mode again after the summer slump, but there are a few ways to help get them there. This year, consider using this guide to accelerate your team back on track.
When you reach the point where you’re ready to invest in Leadership Development and Strategic Talent Advisory, you know who to call: us. Promark is your strategic partner for all things people. We’re here for you, through the summer slump and all.