Feeling the summer slump? You’re not alone. In fact, research shows that B2B businesses alone see a 20% dip in sales during the months of July and August.
While it’s easy to fall into a state of panic during this period, I recommend taking a different perspective. View this period as a time to reset and implement objectives that keep business momentum going.
Here’s how to get started.
Recharge and Reset
The slower summer season is a great time to take a much-needed break. Plan a getaway, even if it’s just for a few days.
Whenever I book a vacation, I plan to get all of my work done before I leave so that when I’m away, I’m away. I check emails, but that’s about it.
If there’s an emergency, I tell my team to text me.
Putting work aside for a short while will really give you the time to reset and de-stress. When you return, you’ll be truly refreshed and productive.
Give yourself between two weeks and one month to plan ahead so that you aren’t so busy running around before you go.
Better yet, think about delegating tasks to capable team members while you’re away. Offloading key, ongoing tasks will save you stress and give your staff the opportunity to step up and build capability.
Then, your time away will give you a chance to assess whether some tasks can continue to be delegated even after you return.
For example, if you put a team member in charge of bidding and they do a great job, why not consider keeping that task off your plate?
Delegation and recharging are two excellent ways to keep momentum going in the summer, but these are just two pieces of the puzzle.
Setting objectives should be a key part of your plan.
Set a Thematic Goal for the Season
One of the most important aspects of success planning is goal-setting. The organization as a whole needs a direction and a common target to reach if you want to keep things on track.
So, ask yourself: What do you want to achieve this summer?
Focus on things that will drive real, long-term changes for your business.
For example:
- Improving the client experience
- Developing new products or services
- Implementing new and more efficient processes and internal systems
When setting your thematic goal, make sure you do two key things:
- Be specific. Vague goals are hard to achieve.
- Set a timeline to avoid procrastination.
Because this is a summer goal, you may want to set your deadline for August or September.
Break Down Your Thematic Goal Into Smaller Milestones
To go from planning to execution, you need to break down your overarching objective into more manageable milestones.
These smaller objectives are how you maintain momentum and ultimately, reach your main goal.
Every milestone that you achieve creates a sense of achievement that encourages your team to keep moving forward.
To keep things on track, consider setting monthly checkpoints. For example, you may aim to achieve point A on June 1 and point C by August 1. Every month brings a new milestone to achieve.
Of course, this is an oversimplified example. Your checkpoints may be more complex, or you may need to extend them into the fall. That’s okay. Just make sure your goals are realistic and achievable.
Goals should be assigned across all departments to make sure your main objective is a team effort.
Have Your Team Set Individual Goals
You have a thematic goal. You’ve broken that goal down into milestones and assigned objectives across your departments.
Now, encourage your team members to set their own individual goals.
This way, everyone is contributing and understands their role in the overarching objective.
Giving employees their own objectives will:
- Keep morale and motivation high
- Help your employees feel valued
- Give your team a sense of satisfaction
Whenever a team member achieves a personal goal, they’ll feel a sense of accomplishment. They’ll feel that their work is valued and makes a real difference in helping your organization achieve its summer goal.
At this point, you’ve done a lot of goal-setting. But to achieve your target, you need to take action and make sure that everyone stays on track.
Maintain Accountability and Keep the Momentum Going
In the warm summer months, distractions are everywhere. Your team can easily miss the mark and lose focus if you don’t have a system in place to hold everyone accountable.
One simple and effective approach is to implement a color-coded system and do weekly check-ins.
For example:
- Green: Task is on track
- Yellow: There’s a delay
- Red: Task needs immediate attention
You can customize the colors and wording to your liking and to align with your goal. But having a visual way to track progress is really effective for keeping teams on track.
Apart from weekly check-ins, consider meeting with team members one-on-one regularly. These meetings will give you a chance to deliver hard-earned praise or redirect focus.
During your conversations, take the opportunity to reinforce priorities and celebrate victories. Employees want to feel valued. Praising their wins will ensure their work is recognized.
With all this being said, it’s important to make sure that your team has all the resources they need to achieve their objectives. You can’t expect them to hit their targets if you’re not setting them up for success.
Accountability systems do more than just keep your team on track. They help you adjust course as needed to prevent issues from progressing into major roadblocks.
Take your time when creating your framework, and don’t hesitate to make those changes when you find that things are moving off course.
The Takeaway
Summer doesn’t have to be slow and unproductive. With the right approach, you can use this period to set objectives and make lasting changes that drive growth while improving internal processes.
Breaking down your goals and setting up an accountability framework will be the keys to success.
To learn more about how we can help your business grow, click here to schedule an appointment.