Don’t Hibernate! 3 Ideas to Turn Up the Business Tempo This Winter

Here in the Northeast, leaves are changing and temperatures are starting to fall. It’s dark when the workday starts, and it gets dark before signing off at the end of the workday.

Hunkering down is a normal reaction in the wintertime, but as this winter comes, we also have COVID spikes and lockdowns pushing us all to stay home and hibernate. After many months living through a pandemic, many people are feeling the urge to throw a blanket over their heads and hide out until this is all over.

So how do we resist that urge? 

If you’re leading a team of people and want to keep them engaged, creative, plugged in to the business, and hunting for new revenue, how can you counteract this collective hibernation until spring comes again?

That’s what I’ve been thinking about a lot recently. I’ve been brainstorming new ways to get traditional organizations moving forward, during a time that is taxing for all of us. Even when all of the external signals are telling us to cozy up and slow down, we actually need to get more creative, more energetic, and more innovative to stay successful. 

Could you try any of these ideas to keep your team moving forward as winter comes?

Reach for Your Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal

I have always loved the idea of a BHAG (a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal). 2020 has not felt like a year to reach for big goals. But after months of treading water, I think that now is the time to stretch yourself. Could this be the moment for your business to take a giant step forward, or even a pivot in a new direction?

Many traditional businesses are struggling to stay afloat and catch up to their more progressive, innovative competitors. We know that “business as usual” thinking won’t get us very far right now. I think it’s time to brainstorm your BHAGs, name your goals, and rally your team around them. Even if you’re not in a position to move your team in a new direction, you could set your own personal BHAGs to keep you motivated and excited about your work this winter. 

What books or journals can you read to understand how AI or other technology will disrupt your business or your customers? What podcasts can you find to expand or challenge your point of view? Who can you connect with to nurture your network?

Throw Out Broken Processes

If your organization was plodding along before COVID, working in a way that was slow, clunky, and burdensome for employees, it’s time to change your tactics — now. Winter 2020-2021 will call for new, dynamic ways of working. People need information quickly, they need decisive action, and they need to feel forward momentum and energy from everyone they work with.

Examine your organization, department, or team. What’s holding you back? What can you simplify for your team, your partners, or your customers? What processes or habits or outdated requirements could you throw out? And what new, faster, more dynamic processes could you replace them with?

Model Healthy Habits

It’s not lost on me that we’re living and working through an incredibly stressful time. And I’m not saying that you should ignore or gloss over the heavy weight of this moment. Employees need to feel safe and supported at work, right now more than ever.

For many of us, the lines between work and home are blurring more than ever, begging the question if we’re working from home or living at work. Adding to a general sense of anxiety and worry is the sense of uncertainty all around us.

Leaders can take steps to not add to the stress employees may be feeling. Be aware of when you send texts or emails. When you send these out at all hours, your employees feel pressure to match those hours. Make time to understand your team’s workload and how you’re allocating work across the team. Reach out to each team member to keep them in the loop so they don’t spend time guessing, obsessing, or awfulizing. 

You can set high expectations while still supporting your people’s mental and physical health. Talk to your employees about the challenges we’re all facing. Listen to their concerns. Help them find new solutions to their problems. Help them figure out how to use their vacation time guilt-free. Encourage them to block time for exercise, walks, breaks, and even lunch. 

Get creative. Set aside time for virtual lunch-and-learns on topics ranging from best practices to the future of work to “non-business” topics to get ideas flowing. Challenge team members to come up with innovation and simplification ideas. Send your team a book and have a team member host a discussion. Above all, build in times for reflection, acknowledgment, and celebration.

I’m curious: How are you preparing for this winter at work? How will you keep your team engaged and excited? How will you keep yourself motivated and ready to act?