While it’s not the case for everyone, some organizations’ tech teams see their workloads slow down a bit in the summer months. Knowing that their team members and clients will likely be out for extended periods for vacations, tech leaders often avoid starting new or complex projects in the middle months of the year.
Tech teams that are fortunate to have a little breathing room in the summer can use the additional time to turn their attention to a variety of tasks and initiatives that may get short shrift during busy periods. Below, 20 members of Forbes Technology Council share their advice to help tech leaders and teams make the most of the “spare” time they may have in the summer months.
1. Give Team Members Added Trust And Autonomy
Operations will inevitably slow down in summer, and some leaders might have a knee-jerk reaction to put on pressure to maintain high levels of productivity. That’s not necessarily a bad move until the pressure becomes babysitting. Instead of micromanaging, trust your team and give them autonomy over their work during the summer months so they feel refreshed during the higher-delivery months. - Muamer Cisija, Symphony
2. Tackle Maintenance Chores
Anytime you have a slow period is a good time to focus on erasing technical debt and creating proper specs for current and upcoming projects. To summarize my advice in one word: maintenance. - Chris Hewish, Xsolla
3. Spend Time On Upskilling
Summertime is great for upskilling. Many cool tech festivals happen in summer, which is a great opportunity for teammates to travel, rest and explore the world while gaining new insights and discovering upcoming trends or the latest tools. Tech events are also a great source of inspiration, so make sure you incentivize your team to attend them, either through reimbursements or minimum bureaucracy. - Konstantin Klyagin, Redwerk
4. Consider Your Team Members’ Personal Plans
A lot of people will have kids out of school and vacations and other summer activities planned. This isn’t the time to put the pressure on if you don’t have hard deadlines. Allow your tech team members the time to refresh and regroup, then be ready to hit it hard in the fall and winter. - Rohana Meade, Synergy Technical
5. Focus On Fostering Collaboration And Teamwork
In my experience, a tech team needs to properly plan, communicate, develop skills, work together and maintain a work-life balance to be ready for fall and winter demands. Maximize your team’s output while putting them on the right path for the challenges ahead by assessing and planning, conducting training and developing programs, communicating and aligning, and fostering collaboration and teamwork. - Sunny Pokala, Amtex Systems
Read the whole article on Forbes website.
