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Summer means vacations, cookouts, the beach, the pool, high temperatures and, for many organizations, plummeting productivity. How can you take advantage of the season while still maintaining your workload? Chris Battles, vice president and general manager at , has five tips to help you stay focused and productive.

Investment in employee education and learning increases engagement and makes employees more productive. If you find your workload is a bit light during the summer months, consider sitting down with your manager to identify existing professional development programs or courses to add to your skill set, Battles says. If you can鈥檛 physically attend courses, take advantage of virtual training tools and online massive open online courses.

Feeling grumpy because you鈥檙e stuck inside on a glorious summer day? Vitamin D can do wonders for your mood and your productivity; see if you can take your work outside for a bit, Battles says.

鈥淐onsider holding your next weekly meeting at a nearby park. If you have access to Wi-Fi, connect with other offices via video conferencing and make them jealous of the nice weather you鈥檙e having!鈥� he says.

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Summer鈥檚 certainly vacation season, but it can also be a great time to get ahead so you鈥檙e not overwhelmed during the busy holiday season, Battles says.

鈥淭his tip may not be the most popular, but it has merit. If you tend to feel overwhelmed for much of the year, see what you can do in the slower summer months to make your workload in the fall and winter a little easier to manage. You also can proactively develop new project ideas or research new business opportunities. Your manager will surely appreciate the effort, which will go a long way in your next performance review,鈥� Battles says.

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Don鈥檛 miss out on trips to the beach, family reunions or other activities; check with your manager to see if you can arrange a flexible or remote work schedule during the summer, Battles says.

鈥淭ools like Skype for Business and Citrix GoToMeeting can enable effective virtual meetings no matter where you are; see if you can take advantage of technology to work remotely. This compromise will ensure you can meet your project goals while making new memories with friends and family,鈥� Battles says.

One of the simplest morale-boosting techniques is allowing your workforce to adopt a summer dress code. If your office typically has a formal, business-attire-required atmosphere, a summer dress code that relaxes the rules and allows for more comfort and freedom can break up the monotony, make everyone more comfortable and boost productivity, Battles says.