Working Wonders is pleased to feature guest blogger, Rachel Wexler
We are rolling into summer, the season that we live for– when we can shed our layers of clothing, slow our pace, and enjoy a few extra hours of daylight. Why shouldn’t we reward ourselves after making it through the marathon of the winter grind, followed by a relentless early spring?
Kicking back entirely might sound tempting. However, channeling the summer energy and light into some intentional recharging just may produce the rewarding outcomes that power you and those around you through challenges and opportunities later in the year. Just like planning an exciting summer adventure, let’s create a roadmap to invigorate our teams, our careers, and ourselves so that we’re poised to hit all of our 2024 goals by year’s end.
ENERGIZE YOUR TEAMS
An effective leader thinks about their team first, then themselves. Your team is ready for a reprieve– a time to reflect, connect, and recharge. During these weeks where external business tends to let up, use this time to invest in your internal teams.
- Allocate time to reflect. Devote a team meeting to reflect on the greatest year-to-date learnings. Give each team member a chance to share individually, then allow the team an opportunity to collectively explore their greatest challenges and lessons learned. Revisit annual goals and ensure the team has the resources and structures in place to achieve them.
- Go offsite for team bonding and relationship-building. Dedicate a day for deepening relationships. Teams act more productively and empathically under pressure if they’ve invested up-front in developing transparency and a shared understanding of one another. A facilitated offsite allows each team member to participate fully, as equals.
- Have some fun! Schedule a team outing to do an activity together. Put work aside and see each other in a new light. Surprise your team with a scavenger hunt, a boat ride, or an impromptu game of Ultimate Frisbee.
ENERGIZE YOUR CAREER
Capitalize on the slower pace to do some career maintenance that so easily gets relegated to next week’s (next month’s?) to do list. These things don’t take that long and often can be accomplished while sitting outside under a shady tree on a glorious day.
- Inventory your key accomplishments and learnings over the past year. Record areas of growth, lessons learned, and both small and notable wins. Write them down and keep them in a format that can be revisited and edited at a regular cadence.
- Update your LinkedIn profile with material from the above exercise. Refresh any professional assets, such as a speaker bio, that you might want to use as you move into the fall.
- Review your personal goals and consider what you might need to do in order to hit your EOY and longer term goals.
ENERGIZE YOURSELF
You can’t effectively support others unless you put on your own oxygen mask and make sure you’re taking care of yourself. We’re not talking about getting a manicure before the weekend. Ask yourself: how can you nurture and recharge both your head and your heart?
- Learn something new. Try a new activity such as sailing or cooking. Or pick a podcast on a topic you don’t know much about, and take it on a long walk. Who wouldn’t benefit from 60 minutes on AI once a week?
- Change the pace by addressing what you are lacking. If you are feeling disconnected, then invite a friend to grab coffee or a drink. If you’re drained after weekends of BBQs and social events, then designate a night per week for alone time and reading. Protect this time as you would dinner with a friend.
- Unplug and get away! Allow yourself a summer vacation or staycation. Escape your screens for a few days and enjoy some downtime to be with the people and/or participate in the activities that bring you joy. You’ll come back energized– rested and ready to hit the rest of this year with focus and spirit!
Set some intentions. Make some plans and put them in your calendar to keep you focused. Let’s extract every bit of delight that summer brings to revitalize ourselves and those around us.
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Rachel Levy Wexler, an executive coach, strategic advisor, and facilitator, helps clients enhance their leadership and impact while navigating complex dynamics in their professional development. With over 20 years of experience as a management consultant, line manager, and technology executive, Rachel understands the pressures and expectations of career advancement, particularly in high-growth organizations. Learn more about Rachel at www.rachel-wexler.com and about the JEWEL Project: Joining and Empowering Women in the Exploration of Lived Experience here.
