14 Ways to Make the Most of a Slow Season at Work - The Muse

14 Ways to Make the Most of a Slow Season at Work - The Muse14 Ways to Make the Most of a Slow Season at WorkSummer, ahh. Its a popular time to go on vacation, take long weekends, maybe skip out of work early on a Friday, leave by 5 PM on a random Tuesday. If your boss is traveling too and just generally spending less face-time in the office, you might find yourself with a reduced workload, fewer pressing deadlines, and less pressure to work on meaty projects. Given the somewhat easier atmosphere, you may find it difficult to focus and motivate yourself beyond getting the bare minimum done. Theres no one right way to deal with a slow time at work, and our esteemed career coaches are here to offer you myriad ideas- from refiguring processes to relaxing without the guilt- for maximizing the season. 1. Plan AheadSeasonal slowdowns at work are an opportunity to think higher-level and contribute to your company internally. Since you have the rare time and space to think more strategically and less tactically, abflug planning for your busy season and begin developing new ideas. For example, if your trade-show season is in the spring, use the summer months to debrief on last season and consider what new ideas could elevate your company at next years shows. This is also a good time to contribute to your company internally by getting involved in committees or volunteering to draft content on behalf of the organization.Ashley Cobert2. Maximize EfficiencyMany use their down-time to work on new or pet projects, and thats great. But even better would be using that time to improve existing processes and projects. Take advantage of the slow time to make processes more efficient, add data to that database thats months behind, and implement improvements to existing projects that youve always talked about but never acted on. You can do this through benchmarking similar processes at other organizations, or by just experimenting to find what works better. It may not sound fun, but when the busy season arrives and it takes much less time to complete your tasks based on your efforts, youll be glad you spent your summer maximizing efficiencyHila Mehr3. Widen Career HorizonsThe summer slow season is anything but- if you dont let conventional, know-it-all thinking get in your way. If things are quiet, consider it a golden opportunity to widen your career horizons. Why not take a General Assembly or Udemy course for a skill you really need or that promotion you want? Or how about reaching out to people you really admire that could be mentors or future employers? While everyones frying at the beach or grabbing iced coffees and waiting to kick it up a notch come fall, you could be knocking on (or even breaking down) the door to that dream job.Yuri Kruman4. Make ConnectionsUse this opportunity to develop relationships with people. It can be difficult to get on a calendar of a successful part during the fall, winter, or spring months when conferences, holidays, and ne tworking events are in full swing. Use your down time to connect with people in your network. You might be surprised how welcome your invitation to grab a coffee or drink is during the less-frenetic summer when even perpetually busy people seem more relaxed.Avery Blank5. Sharpen the AxeAnytime you have a respite, I suggest you reflect and sharpen the axe. Review the last several months, maybe even years, and ask yourself whats working and whats not. Take stock of the situation, how your feeling about it and what big picture adjustments you may need to make. Take the time to develop skills, do research, and organize. Think like Bill Gates Take a week and read everything youve been meaning to. And dont forget to spend some time on the areas of your life you may have been neglecting family, kids, friends, maybe your you time.Bruce Eckfeldt6. Seek New OpportunitiesIf youre feeling burned out after a stressful, busy period but an extended, out-of-office career break isnt an option (finan cially or logistically), consider an in-house sabbatical to refocus or try on new responsibilities. For example, you could put aside administrative duties and focus on the writing project youve been putting off. Another option is to ask your boss to join a different department for a few weeks or find a mentor to shadow. Getting buy-in to pursue in-house sabbatical is more likely during a slow period when it wont compete with other priorities- as long as you can make the case for how itll help you learn or build new skills.Melody Wilding7. Take Notes- Take Them All the TimeYour brain turns out some of its best ideas when its relaxed, so dont let them go to waste. If you have a eureka moment at a barbecue, just scoot to a quiet corner of the yard and jot your thoughts down. Maybe youre inspired to write a blog post, find a new way to tackle the company traffic report, or hold weekly meetings with your team. Come fall, youll have a collection of effortless brilliance right in your pock et.Erica Breuer8. Focus on FriendshipIf you have a tight-knit circle of friends and colleagues who genuinely like and respect you, thats going to unlock all kinds of doors for you. During the slow summer months, take your free time and pour it into your friendships. Invite a colleague for a lunch-time walk. Knock back a cold beer with your team. Write handwritten thank-you notes to past professors and colleagues. When you invest in your relationships, youre investing in your career in a powerful way- and as an added bonus, its also really funEllen Fondiler9. Start a Side GigJust because your job has slowed down, it doesnt mean your brain has to slow down too. Passion projects keep your creative juices flowing, help you to build relationships, and prove that youre more than just your job title. Identify what kind of work you can do on the side that you feel passionately about.Rajiv Nathan10. Get SocialSummer offers numerous opportunities for informal networking parties, barbecues, fa mily get-togethers. The atmosphere is generally relaxed, and youll have a chance to talk to people outside your usual work sphere. Some of the most productive contacts and job leads often come from the most unlikely sources.Heidi Ravis11. VolunteerIm a huge proponent of volunteering and if youre on a board, this a great time to accomplish things that you might be too busy to get done in the fall. And if youve always wanted to volunteer but havent been able to make the time, do it now when you can roll in a little later on Fridays or leave early on Wednesdays. If you invest the time and effort now, youll figure out a way to fit it in once things pick back up again.Stacey Gordon12. DisconnectTake the time to enjoy the slow season by going on vacation and spending time with loved ones. If you can avoid checking your email or phone messages, do it. Youve earned a break, take time to recharge and refresh. Dont be one of many Americans who fails to use his vacation days.Ryan Kahn13. Prior itize Self-CareTake time for regular self-care. Recharge your batteries by actually leaving at 5 PM and enjoying the outdoors and plethora of free events offered over the summer. Youll go back to the office feeling less stressed and more refreshed- and your tank will be filled when the next round of busy-ness hitsKristinaLeonardi14. Find a New AppSlow times at work are the best times to review your responsibilities or a task to find ways to make your work or processes more efficient. For example, if youre responsible for gathering information from your colleagues for a monthly or general task, research tools to help you manage the project better. There are several free and useful applications to help teams and individuals stay organized. Finding one that works for your team will save you time and frustration during the busy season.Adrean TurnerPhoto of woman working on a summer day courtesy of Mint Images/Getty Images