Podcast episode 041: getting back into the swing
So the holidays are over and you are facing returning to work to continue where you and your team left off during the holidays. For the past several few weeks you have been enjoying lounging around in your pajamas, eating holiday cookies, taking naps, and watching Oprah. But now you are facing the reality of returning to work, facing your team members, you boss, and your stakeholders. Like a bear being suddenly interrupted from its winter slumber, if you are like me, you are thinking about all the things that your team didn’t get done over the holidays and wishing you had just a couple more weeks of hibernation.
So how do you conquer the stress of getting back into the flow of your project after the holidays? Well, that’s what we are going to discuss today, so let’s go ahead and get started.
So here I am in the final weekend of my 16 day vacation that I took over the holidays and to be honest, I am already thinking about returning to work. I am thinking about all those loose ends that didn’t get addressed right before the holidays; those issues that came up over the holidays that weren’t addressed and could possibly affect my project schedule, and my stakeholders wanting reassurance that things are still on track. And although I feel that I got some well-needed rest and relaxation over my vacation, I can’t help but still feel the knot growing in my stomach as I think about returning to work. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my work and the challenges of my project. But with the economy in the poor shape it is in and the need to do more with less, there seems to be even more pressure on project managers to be both more successful and more efficient at the same time.
As I start worrying about jump starting my project again after weeks of people enjoying the holidays, I can feel my stress increase. What if my team didn’t complete what needed to get completed prior to the holidays? What if our prototype parts weren’t ordered on time – or perhaps the supplier has slipped on their tooling leadtime because of the holidays? What if all my team members have decided to quit over the holidays become elves in Santa’s workshop.
And that’s when I realize what is happening. I am starting to focus on “what if’s”. I am starting to worry about issues that may or may not even be issues. So, how do I address these concerns and take appropriate action? I make a list… I make a list of what I need to accomplish on my first day of work. And I want to share the list of “to-do’s” with you.
1.) First, I need to stay positive and enthusiastic about getting back to work. Remember your team members are probably feeling the same way you are about returning to work and if you show them support and encouragement it will be a quicker transition for everyone in getting back into the swing of things.
2.) Secondly, I Review my project schedule with my team for any open tasks that did not get completed prior to the holidays.
3.) Third, my team and I develop plans on how to quickly address any tasks that may have slipped to help prevent any further slips.
4.) Fourth, I make sure that I communicate any issues or delays that may have occurred over the holidays to my manager and other key project stakeholders. I review with those stakeholders how the team is working to get back on track.
5.) Finally, I try to remain a consistent leader. If some of my expectations were not met while I was away, rather than losing my cool over it, I try to stay positive, and look for opportunities for my team to recover.
By using these 5 steps, I have found that my team usually is able to transition back to work and get back on track quickly.
What suggestions do you have for recovering after the holidays? Drop me an email or leave us a comment.
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