With September in the books, October marks the first full month of autumn and the start of the final quarter of 2014. So between enjoying the cooler weather and watching the leaves turn, here are five things to do this month!
Raise Awareness for a Cure
October is “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” and is a great month to get your team involved in raising money and providing knowledge on detection. According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Whether you personally have suffered from it, or you know someone who has, this month is a great time to build awareness and raise money for medical research. From hosting a fun run to sponsoring a 5k, there are countless ways for you and your team to get involved. For more information, visit Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
Get Organized to Start the Fourth Quarter
Spring isn’t the only time meant for cleaning! The first week of October is “Get Organized Week,” and what better time than now to get organized to ensure your team ends the year strong – without all the clutter. Whether your individual workspace needs a little TLC or your office storage closet is in dire need of a makeover, be sure to take time to organize before your workforce shrinks for the holiday season. And if you don’t already, implement a recycling policy to make your office green.
Trick or Treat for Team Building
Derived from the term All Hollow’s Eve, Halloween is the perfect time to take advantage of the season’s costumes and candy traditions in your office. Before end-of-the-year tasks build up, take a moment to celebrate your success so far this year with an office Halloween party. It’s a great way for co-workers to spend more time together and build camaraderie. And if you’re really ambitions, consider doing a costume contest where the winner takes home a gift card or a free lunch. The spirit of competition can do wonders in building excitement for the final three months of 2014!
Balance Work/Life with National Work and Family Month
“National Work and Family Month” was created in 2003 to acknowledge and celebrate the progress in establishing healthier and more flexible work environments. According to the Alliance for Work Life Progress, the purpose of National Work and Family month is to “encourage employers to think strategically about family-friendly policies and work-life benefits such as workplace flexibility, health and wellness, dependent care, community involvement, organizational culture, financial security, and paid and unpaid time off to attract, motivate, and retain a talented workforce.” Take the time this month to evaluate your company’s work/life balance and consider offering flexible hours or work-from-home days for morale and retention efforts.
Prepare for 2015
It’s never too early to get started on planning for the new year, and October is the perfect time to start. Before the holiday season gets into full swing, take a moment to meet with your leaders to develop goals and strategies for what your company wants to achieve in 2015. Once you have an overall vision of where you want your organization to go, bring in your entire team to brainstorm what steps need to be taken to achieve those goals. Bringing your employees in on this process gives a different perspective during brainstorming and also builds employee engagement by empowering them with involvement.
What are your plans this October? Is there something we missed? Let us know in the comments section below!
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