Beyond the finish line

08.27.10

September is around the corner, which means busy season – or summer, as the rest of the world calls it – is almost over. It's been a great season for us – could be our best summer in company history if we finish out as strongly as we've been going. But while the numbers may be up, our spirit seems to be lower. We've got one more month to go ... which has me pondering ... do we have enough fuel to make it to the finish line?

I keep hearing whispers about burn out ... tiredness ... exhaustion .... Not words any HR Manager wants to hear, although I think probably normal for our industry. So I wanted to take a moment and share my thoughts on summer season:

Summer season is hard. It's grueling and exhausting and the pressure can almost feel overwhelming. It seems by late August that we don't have any power left to appease our customers. We feel we've tried it all and we're powerless to change course. If our manager isn't oblivious, then the rest of management must be, because it feels like no one's listening. Remind yourself – perception can be deceiving.

Take that glass-half-empty and flip it around and you can also see that we've handled more moves than any previous summer. That's something to be proud of! We faced claims and criticism on some key moves. But we learned from them – and we instituted new requirements to avoid the pitfalls next season. We launched a new carrier website, bringing our communication with our much-relied-upon carriers to an entirely new level. We've introduced a Welcome Home kit – demonstrating our commitment to "real. personal. service." We've established ourselves in our community as a company that cares and gives back to kids in need. We've accomplished a lot. And if you look past the haze of exhaustion – surely, you can see the rays of victory.

So with the finish line of summer in sight – now's the time to plan your next steps ... Race thru the next month and then spend your "downtime" recharging and innovating and strategizing. Is there a department you've always wanted to learn more about? Send the manager a note, ask for a little exposure, a chance to help out. Is there something you want to learn more about? Send HR an email and ask for a Lunch and Learn. Is there something in your daily process that you feel adamantly did not work well this summer? Brainstorm with your teammates and present ideas for new processes to streamline your job. Did you butt heads with a coworker over an issue and never seemed to find common ground? Now's the perfect opportunity to raise up the white flag and re-establish yourself as an ally and not the enemy.

If you look back at Reindeer's history, it's a cycle of high summer peaks and normal winter lulls. Every year is the same pattern. But every year has not had – and does not have to have – the same outcome. You do have the power to win the race, every time. Reindeer's worked hard to put together the best "crew pit" possible, with the best resources available. We've got the "right stuff"– even when we may feel like we don't. So fuel up - the 2010 race may be winding down ... but this team has a lot more racing to do!