5 ways to use summer to gain momentum in team projects rather than loose it

Are you anxious about loosing momentum over summer on some key projects and initiatives that your team is working on? As employees really move into summer mode, the ability to keep things rolling can be challenging and trying for leaders.

Fear not! Here are 5 ways to use summer to gain momentum rather than loose it.

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I'm distracted before holiday time
When I am getting ready to go on vacation, the final couple of working days are usually focused on tying up loose ends so that nothing unravels while I’m gone. My mind is on red flags and potential hotspots. I am not focused enough to be able to sit down and do the deep thinking that is often required on a larger projects.

I'm trying to get caught up when I get back
Upon returning from vacation, the following days are dedicated to putting out any fires that arose, catching up on the office happenings and trying to clean out my inbox. Once again, I am not usually in the right frame of mind to be able to dig deep on a project.

The day or two before we leave on holiday and certainly the day after 
we come back are often considered write-offs for most people.

Combine everyone's time off and it seems like a lost few months
Therefore when someone is away for a week, you’ve basically lost almost 2 weeks of time to focus on a project. Add to that the sunshine, ice cream cones and the kids being out of school as distractions and it’s even harder over summer to get anything done at the office. With the summer season stretching for about 3 months, it’s easy to see how we can loose momentum in team projects as people alternate being away for summer vacation. 

A leader can choose to see it differently
As the leader in charge, it can be disheartening for you to see a project come to a standstill. Projects do not have to get derailed over summer though. If you can step back and see the gift in this shift of office rhythm over summer, you can put it to good use!

Summer schedules can allow more focused project time
The truth is you can accomplish a lot over summer because in many ways there are fewer distractions. In summer, there are less people in the office, fewer meetings and generally a slower pace. Use this to your advantage to get ahead on some of the components of the project.

5 ways to use summer to gain momentum rather than loose it

1)     First, break the project down between group and individual tasks 

A meeting between two people can be more effective than a large group meeting. A duo can get ideas rolling, outline some options and create a starting point for the larger group to work from. 

Individually, you can take the time to review the material instead of waiting until the meeting and asking someone to explain it to you.  You can identify questions and email them to people so they can prepare their answer. Summer is a more relaxed time for you to complete research, prepare statistic and develop specific written work that is required in the project.

2)     Block off time to work on the project

Show the way as the Leader
Typically our calendars are less scheduled in the summer. It’s easy to almost get almost lazy as we go through days not sure what to do with white time. Instead, when you block off a set time to work on a project in your agenda, it gives you the ability to focus in for that 2-hour period.  

Tell those around you that you are unavailable and not to disrupt you. Treat the time you have identified as if it were a meeting with another person. This not only keeps others from chatting with you but ads in the layer of the accountability. By clearly identifying to others that we are working on a project, you tend to feel more motivated to stay on task. After all, if you say you are working on it, you should have something to show for it after. Try to set aside time in the morning when you are better able to stay focused on a task.

Get participation
Ask participants on the team to also identify a block of time or times when they are working alone on the project. Have them identify what specifically they will be doing during that time. Ensure they commit to their part by a certain date. 

Keep everyone accountable
Hold each other accountable for what you say you will be working on. Set conversation times with others for the afternoon when it is easier to get derailed. Perhaps meet out at the picnic table or do a walking meeting. This will increase creativity and innovation into your conversation as well as the ability to enjoy all that summer has to offer.

3)     Set realistic goals for summer

Look at a calendar and at people’s schedules to determine how much time you actually have to work on the project over the summer period.  Once you identify how many hours you truly have work on the project, then, you can consider realistically what can accomplish.

It is then extremely important to write down your goals. According to one study, written goals have a 42% greater likelihood of being achieved. Put them in a place that everyone has access to and be specific about the part of the project that you all will completed by the end of August. Having a clearly identified target to work on keeps people motivate and on board.

4)     Build in frequent review systems

Review is a critical component of goal achievement. It keeps people aware, engaged and interested. Listed below are some ways to develop a review system for your team.

• Use online project management software such as Trello, Basecamp or Asana to keep track of the parts of the project, persons responsible and deadlines. 
  
• Use a Google document that all team members have access to allowing you all to keep track of what parts have been completed and what is needing reviewed. 
  
• Have weekly 10-minute conference calls for whoever is in attendance to update what is happening. Have them recorded so others can listen to them when they return from holidays to keep up to date.  The key is this have to be very short and completely on task. 

Get excited and lead your team to a productive summer
Don’t throw up your hands now and say it’s useless. Instead, give yourself a knowing smirk as you set the intention that you will actually get more done this summer. Then get clear on what you are doing to do, when and who's responsible. Choose to lead productively through summer, rather than give up. Finally, make sure you and your team set a date for celebration to acknowledge the focused concentration over summer!

Question: What idea above really stood out for you as something new that you will try to keep momentum going in your summer project?