Both Chris Brogan and I have exhorted you recently to make the most of this quietest week of the year when everyone else has checked out. Here’s the corollary to those bold statements. If you’re looking at starting something new or adding to your team for 2011, if you’re looking to hire, grow, or otherwise expand your business, then this week is also really important.
It’s how you tell who the hard hitters are.
I got an email from one of my sales team on Monday morning, bright and early. They said the office was as deserted as a graveyard. It would have been easy for them to check out, head out, and throw it in, but they’re working instead to make business happen. I certainly took note.
Take notice of who’s still on the clock this week and why, especially if they don’t have to be. Pay attention to who is still blogging and Twitter accounts, to metrics that matter internally and to people who are still feeding the machine. Pay attention to who’s working when in all honesty you don’t have to. The noise of normal daily life and the loudest voices that normally fill the air with “activity” (as opposed to productivity) are silent for this week. Listen carefully and you’ll uncover the true power players in your networks and organizations.
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Who’s to say that the people who’re working just don’t have anything better to do?
I’m working on planning for 2011, file re-org and doing some client consulting today. Great week for focusing on the future and preparing for the new year.
Love it! I posed the same question on our Facebook page yesterday – “Who is using this week to get ahead?” I remember reading (I think it was Seth Godin) a few Decembers back about how everyone vacations and offices are empty this week. Use it to get ahead. I’m trying to at least.
I have to admit that I am working but it’s mostly just the fun part that I’m focusing on.
Yeah, love this topic Chris, in fact, I referenced Brogan’s article as well in my earlier plea this week for people to take advantage of this great time to get ahead and make some serious things happen in their life and business. Personally, the time between Christmas and New Years is bar-none my most productive of the year. I love it, and can see you do as well.
I’m working. I even posted a full blown rant about it. Hopefully, it will trackback properly 🙂
Chris:
This is the single most productive week of the year for right-brain activities — like planning, brain storming and strategy. Yesterday, I met with the CEO of a JV partner. It was leisurely, productive and we arrived at creative solutions that would have been impossible if we were rushed (as usual) by having meetings scheduled on either side of ours. There is great wisdom in using this week to think differently, change routines and use this precious time to set goals and roadmaps for the next year.
Great article. I really respect you keep writing this week.
Olin
Good advice if you’re someone who bills for their time and needs to work to have things working.
I’d far rather, however, have built assets this year which work for me and don’t require me to get to my desk, and instead spend time reflection and recharging with friends, family, and the new faces that I met as I look after people over Christmas.
I find that too many bloggers are all about activity