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Shrugging off the Shoulder Season: How to Step Up Your Downtime

  Tahoe Chamber  |   September 17, 2019   |   Community News

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Written by Zach Fiore, Tahoe Chamber Membership Services Director

As fall nears and the leaves begin to think about changing, many Tahoe businesses slow down a bit as the summer tourism season comes to a close. It will be a few months before the rush returns, but businesses in our area can have the most productive time of their year if they use the shoulder season right. As a Chamber, we want to help you develop your business, and with some preparation, this is the perfect time for it.

It all begins with a mindset: reshape the shoulder season into an exciting time for planning, reviewing, and developing your team and your business. What worked this past summer? What were your friction points, your roadblocks, your wins, your losses? This is when you can focus on what you couldn’t during peak times. In the rush of being endlessly busy, it’s easy to forget you can actually decide to leave work for later. We’ve all heard Ben Franklin’s “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today,”  but frankly, it’s just not true. The slow time is the best time to actually get things done! The best businesses know their competitors are running laps while others sleep, and if you want to compete with the best: start stretching.

“You don’t build a business – you build people – and then people build the business.” –Zig Ziglar

One of the most impactful ways to invest in your business is to invest in your employees. We’ve compiled some cost-effective ideas to help build and develop your team during the downtime so you can come back swinging when traffic peaks again.

  • Create an Individual Development Plan! IDPs are a tool for employees to help set short and long term goals while empowering them to ask themselves what they want out of this position and where they want to go from here. Put the power of their future in their hands, and then be sure to follow up. Monthly check-ins can help your employee feel engaged and motivated.
  • Host team building exercises! Up to 70% of employees say that work friends are “the most crucial element” to a happier work life. You obviously can’t force colleagues to be friends, but this can definitely help foster a friendlier environment for your employees.
  • Build a new Mission Statement! 50% of Millennials say they would take a job with a pay cut if it better reflected their values. At your next team meeting, take some time to write a mission statement for your business and have your current employees contribute their ideas. Ask what they find fulfilling, and combine their experiences into your business values. It gives them a sense of ownership in the business’ success, which leads to better engagement, more motivation, and increased performance.
  • Commit to Recognition events! Host monthly or quarterly achievement awards, maybe specifically in the shoulder seasons. Come up with creative awards that are industry or business-specific. This is not about getting a plaque or even a certificate; this is about recognition and team development. Peers reflect the employees you reward and recognize, so it engages your best with recognition for their hard work and motivates others by giving them a template.

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