Some ideas on what you can do to boost morale on summer Fridays that cost little but could have big results:

1. Casual Fridays with a Twist: Clothing themes, retro wear, fave baseball tees and caps. (I’d wear a tee of the Lansing Lugnuts.)

2. Music – Music – Music: Rotate each Friday with a different employee’s playlist in break rooms or common areas. (Personal playlist? 80s hair metal – especially Cinderella.)

3. Simple Snacks / Catered Lunch: Soft pretzels, water ice, cheesesteaks, Tastykakes for example. (Are my Philly roots showing?)

4. Get-to-Know Someone: Give everyone 1 or 2 hours to spend time meeting with and learning about a fellow co-worker. (I participated in this before at a former workplace, and learned some interesting, curious and wild stuff.)

5. Bring Your Dog to Work: Now, I know that all dogs don’t mix…so proceed cautiously! (Personal note: My son’s German Shepherd and daughter’s Husky/Chow mix do not mix, and I’m allergic to all dogs…but my kids don’t care when they bring dogs around.)

There are many other things that can be done, some better or more practical than others. The lesson here for leaders is to just give it the old college try to help your team believe and know that they belong and who they are and what they do really matters.