Purposefully Taking A Quiet Month In Business: A Strategic Reminder to Take a Break

Typically in the beginning of Q3, I write about ways that we can take our goals to the next level or get back on track with our goals within the remaining 6 months of the year. Since the end of quarter 2 and the beginning of quarter 3 tend to be the busy season for my team and I, I always like to spend a little extra time and attention making sure we’re spending our energy on the right things. 

However, I’ve recently been reminded about the power of pausing. As mental health awareness is getting more of the attention it deserves in the American workforce, more companies are implementing policies that are friendly to the post-pandemic work life balance such as including access to therapists as part of a benefits package or being more flexible with work-from-home and in-office policies. One surprising benefit that’s also on the rise: sabbaticals. 

Sabbaticals are extended periods of paid time off that allow employees to take much needed breaks. It is a complete unplugging from work and recharging of the self. I, personally, always thought of sabbaticals as being something professors take or something you might be offered when it’s obvious you need one - like when someone ate Ross Geller’s sandwich (any Friends fans here?) Fun fact, McDonald’s actually implemented a sabbatical package for corporate employees in 1977. 

I heard a podcast episode by Amy Porterfield in 2022 discussing how she prepped her team for her to take a month-long sabbatical. Her team also takes time in Q3 or Q4 to shut down for two weeks! The first week is spent on all catch up work (no external meetings or new project meetings) and the second week is mandatory vacation for the whole team. Research shows that employees return from sabbaticals with more psychological resources and an increased satisfaction with life in general. 

Now, these may sound like a hard thing to implement and commit to…so, what’s the middle of the road approach here? Well, I’ve got one of my clients to thank for letting me in on their secret. 

Rosemary Jordan is the CEO of Enso Village, a zen-inspired senior living community breaking ground in Healdsburg, California. Every time I talk to anyone on this team, even if it’s a matter-of-fact, get-things-done type of meeting, I honestly always walk away feeling brighter. This was especially true after one meeting with Rosemary where she shared that her whole team took a “Quiet Month”. 

Typically, when we hear about quiet months in business, our minds go to a negative space. Quiet months are typically defined by slow periods where customers or clients aren’t reaching out as much and you don’t have a lot of meetings or things to work on. Rosemary’s team took all the aspects that make an unexpected Quiet Month and turned it into a positive, purposeful time. 

Their Quiet Month had very clear boundaries. First, they significantly reduced internal meetings. Communication was pretty much limited to a check in at the beginning and end of May and emails only when absolutely necessary. They also completely paused their sales work and didn’t engage in any events (again, on purpose). Some employees also took days off throughout the month that added up to about 2 weeks of PTO. 

Reflecting on the month, Rosemary says, 

“We didn’t lose a beat. If anything, we're better.” 

Their Quiet Month was initially prompted by a change in their executive team. They recognized that, instead of focusing on all the things that could go wrong and all the work they would need to do, they could instead focus on the positives and what was critical to business functions. It allowed their employees to hone in on their priorities and continue to make progress without feeling overwhelmed. It also allowed the organization as a whole to benefit from recharged employees without someone leaving on sabbatical for an entire month - not that we want to discourage you from offering sabbaticals if it’s within your company’s budget. 

Rosemary’s leadership here and the overall well being of her team are a proven example of how taking a pause can be strategically beneficial. Conquering your goals doesn’t need to be a constant go-go-go race. Achieving our goals is actually more similar to training and winning an actual race - athletes repeat a cycle of strength conditioning, endurance training, and resting until their actual race. As business leaders, we have cycles throughout the year of high demands, new project developments, and strategic planning. 

Yet, we often forget to fit rest into our cycle. When we do so, we can come back with more creative and innovative ideas, be more engaged with our clients or team, and even see more impactful progress on our goals. 

Connect with Rosemary on LinkedIn here or follow her zen-inspired team, Enso Village, here. 

If you don’t feel your team has enough structure or clarity in place to implement purposeful quiet months, consider scheduling a Quickfire Operations Audit with us to get you on track for restful, recharging months.