Summer is a time when many organizations move into a “pause mode.” Using the school year as a model many groups expect summer to be a time when people will be using more of their vacation time and so take it for granted that there will be some coasting for a few months. In fact, in organizations where this pattern exists, many people look forward to the change of pace and they lower their expectations to match. Many of our clients find themselves in this annual cycle.
But what if the mindset was a bit different? Summer is officially upon us but there is still work to be done! How can you take advantage of this time to both enjoy the summer and all that it brings and still get more done this year than last year?
Here are a few ideas:
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Work a flexible schedule and allow the people you work with to do the same. People who can know they are trusted with their time are also likely to honor the time they work as well. So if you have regular employees who work a fairly rigid schedule, see if you can let them work longer sometimes and shorter others to get an extra block or two of time for themselves. Working playfully may also include making time for people to play!
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Find your own rhythm to sync with that of the people you work with. For example, the A.R.E. work follows the summer pattern because so many of our clients find themselves in this pattern. We have tried to block out some of our vacation time to coincide so we can both enjoy the summer and also not use as much of our time off when our clients are in their most engaged work modes at other times of the year. But at the same time, the A.R.E. managing partners all take the same two weeks off so when we are working we can take full advantage of all of us being available for summer projects.
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Set work goals for yourself and pursue them over time. Since many of our clients slow for summer, this is a time for us to focus on other work and so the A.R.E. team is working to develop a full range of print, video, and online types of resources to be ready for our fall tour. Treasure in Clay Jars: The Renewable Organization for Faith Based Groups. By taking advantage of the change in the work schedules of many we work with, we can be productive in areas we haven’t had time to develop at other times of the year.
Summer can be a great time to relax and enjoy (and you should!). But it may also be a time to work differently, either in a different way or on different things. And in doing so, you may find that you have a leg up over your competition and those who coasted while they waited for September to come.
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