Question: Why can’t I find time to reorganize, renovate and rejuvenate?
My wife and I have moved to many locations all over the country for our careers, but we now live in Naples, Florida. They call it “paradise” and it truly is. This is the first place we’ve lived that is a resort area, so people here refer to it being either “season” or “off-season”.For businesses, that means that from October through March they are slammed with business from the thousands of people visiting Florida. Then there comes a time (from April to September) when it is “off season.” Because the bulk of revenue for some of my clients comes during season, they are prepared for the part of the year when things are slower.As an executive coach and corporate trainer, I try to get my clients to make the best of the “off season” months. They are aware that they can accomplish some great things when we are not “in season”. Some renovate their buildings. Others reorganize their processes or meet with staff members to work on strategic plans or team training. And some vacation then, since they can’t really do that during “season”.I’ve watched this “off season” process for the three years I’ve lived here and have seen some great things happen during this time period. Recently I thought about the fact that this approach could be very beneficial for my clients in other cities that aren’t based on tourism months. How could they create an artificial “off season” and do a few things to make a difference in their businesses? Here is my plan:Your Action Plan: CREATE YOUR OWN TWO ‘OFF-SEASON’ MONTHS1. Pick your two slowest months and post your plan to launch some major initiatives for your team to see.2. Think about updating your strategic plan, doing specialized team training, renovating a department or building, changing processes so that you can see how they work during months with a lower customer count, or something else you’ve been meaning to do but “just don’t have time to do.”3. Spend more time with your team members and do extensive performance evaluations that helps them grow and creates ideas that will help your business be more effective.4. Do some phone or face-to-face interviews with customers or potential customers to see what they need and want.5. Remember that some of the best plans fail because they aren’t put into place. Don’t let that happen to you.
