Managing Through the Doldrums

Andy Jordan is President of Roffensian Consulting S.A., a Roatan, Honduras-based management consulting firm with a comprehensive project management practice. Andy always appreciates feedback and discussion on the issues raised in his articles and can be reached at [email protected]. Andy's new book Risk Management for Project Driven Organizations is now available.

  Organizational Project Management   Talent Management  

As I write this, the media is full of talk of “Blue Monday.” Apparently, the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year. It is the height of winter for the northern hemisphere, Christmas bills are coming in for those who celebrate it, and it is a long time until the next statutory holiday in many countries.

I can’t help thinking that the entire concept is an invention of that very same media, but it did get me thinking. Often after the holiday period, it can be difficult to kick-start a team. Many people will have enjoyed some time off over the holidays, and it can be tough to come back to work and refocus. At the same time, organizations often plan quieter periods around the holidays and the change of year. The previous year’s initiatives are wrapping up, and the current year’s projects will take a while to get into high gear so there is frequently less incentive for project teams to come back and “hit the ground running.”

So should we just accept that certain times of the year are just quieter and less productive? I have a tough time with that. To me, if there are times when there are fewer deliverables, less work assignment and a little less external pressure on the team, that represents the perfect opportunity to get ahead of the problems that are inevitably waiting for us in the future. That’s what I…

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