Exploring the challenges of organizational productivity during the summer lull, strategies for managing workloads in the absence of vacationing team members, and the importance of aligning tasks with energy levels for optimal outcomes. Discussing ways to overcome summer obstacles through rescheduling events, fostering flexibility in meetings, and promoting personal reflections on work values and behaviors.
Utilize summer downtime for personal development activities like reading books or online classes.
Experiment with new work formats or approaches during summer to maximize team productivity.
Adjust project plans to accommodate reduced team availability during the summer months.
Deep dives
Utilizing Summer Vacation Weeks Effectively
During the quieter summer weeks when many colleagues are on vacation, consider focusing on personal development, such as reading books, taking online classes, or learning new skills that you usually don't have time for. Treat this time as an opportunity to engage in activities that bring long-term value which may often get neglected during busy work periods.
Exploring New Ways of Working in Summer Months
Use the summer months, when teams may be incomplete due to vacations, as an experimental space to try new work formats or approaches that may not be sanctioned during regular busy periods. Consider implementing alternative meeting styles, conducting field trips to competitors for insights, or enhancing networking opportunities to establish new connections.
Adapting Plans to Acknowledge Summer Dynamics
Acknowledge and adjust project plans and initiatives to accommodate the unique rhythms of summer months. Consider avoiding starting new projects in August due to potential challenges with team availability and early momentum. Embrace a lighter workload and plan strategically to ensure a seamless flow of work during the summer period.
Encouraging Resilient Team Practices in Absence
Incorporate flexibility and experimentation in team dynamics during vacation seasons to promote resilience. Encourage a shift towards embracing imperfect team compositions for specific tasks or meetings rather than stalling progress for perfect attendance. Foster a culture that values adaptability and resourcefulness in navigating work challenges.
Reflections on Personal and Organizational Relationships to Work
Delve into personal and organizational attitudes towards work and vacation to identify potential areas for growth and alignment. Recognize the psychological impact of identity fusion with work and strive to create a healthier balance between personal identity and professional roles. Encourage personal introspection and continuous improvement to foster a positive and balanced work culture.
It’s an unspoken truth in most knowledge work that summer is a wasted season. From late May to early September, many teams face reduced numbers and it’s nearly impossible to spin up anything new. The director you need approval from? On a cruise. The graphic designer you need for that new marketing campaign? Camping with the kids. When people just aren’t around, it can sometimes be easier to keep the lights on during the vacation relay race and run out the clock until fall.
The two most common sense solutions: take vacation yourself or focus on different things when people are away. But actually doing either of those things? Way harder than you’d expect, especially when modern work is tuned to overwhelm mode 24/7/365.
In this episode of At Work With The Ready, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin talk about why summer is where organizational progress goes to die, and how we can stop spending those months doing business as usual and instead live a hot employee summer.
Interested in learning more about Depthfinding and the ocean framework? Head here.
