Overcome January Doldrums

 For many of us, January and February are often the least-productive and dreariest months of the year. How can you help your team beat the new year doldrums? First, embrace experimentation. Where can you introduce new routines, tools, and habits into your team’s culture? Maybe you replace hour-long meetings with 15-minute, agile-inspired check-ins, or designate a “no-Slack” day of the week. Whatever your team’s experiment is, be sure to commit to it for at least a few weeks. Next, recognize your employees by expressing appreciation or gratitude. You might frame such gestures as a “thank you in advance” for work to come in the new year. Since the holiday season has just passed, your employees probably aren’t expecting this kind of gesture—which is exactly why it could provide the jolt they need right now. Finally, reconnect your team with what matters most, whether that’s your customers, clients, products, or users. Ask your employees to identify how their work will drive the team’s overall mission in the coming year. Taking a moment to reflect as the calendar turns will help your team ground itself in its purpose and meaning.