I was talking with one of my clients yesterday and we were talking about the dog days of summer, and neither of us really knew where the phrase came from nor did we have a clear understanding of what it really meant. I thought this morning I would take a moment and talk about the dog days of summer and about the way my favorite little friend choose to get through the dog days together.
Meaning
The dog days of summer are the 20 days before and after the star ‘Sirius’ appears near where the sun during the daytime each night. Typically, these are nearly the longest and often the hottest 40 days of summer year after year. These days are hot and they are sultry. Some people feel that they are the days that make a dog begin to wish for the cooler days of autumn. I don’t know about that, but I suspect that the dog days of summer can occasionally start to feel oppressively hot and exhausting for those of us who are human beings.
Seize The Opportunity
My client and I agreed that for many business people, the dog days of summer come and go quickly and are characterized by an inability to accomplish as much as we’d like to with our prospects and our customers, and often with our colleagues, as so many are taking the opportunity to get out on the road and vacation a bit during these dog days. We agreed that there is a marvelous opportunity to take some time to pause and do what we cherish with those we love and those we enjoy spending time with. So, if your thing is swimming, get out to the beach or the local swimming hole and take a dip. If tennis is your thing, head to the courts. If golf is your jam, make yourself a tee time at your favorite course and get busy going low.
Another Way To Seize The Opportunity
Of course, the work still needs to get done, and the goals still need to be met, so when the diversions and the restful respites are over, how do we capitalize from a business perspective on the dog days of summer? My advice, set a nifty goal that involves really focusing on something that you rarely spend time on during the rest of the year and get a team to knock it out during these dog days. Another option is to have a burst of focus and activity on a marketing and sales contest during this time of year. While It’s often true that this time of year makes it incredibly challenging to catch your prospects and customers at work, and in the office (especially in Europe!), the truth is that not everyone goes on vacation at the exact same time and for the same duration. Those who are working this time of year may be looking for what you’re marketing and selling and you may be able to create some extraordinary value for them. You should have a better time building pipeline and revenue and margin during this time of year, with a focused effort or a contest to get people competing.
Celebrate Your Four-Legged Friend
We have a wonderful mascot at our company who comes to work with me many times each year, probably about 70-80% of the time. Our honorary Chief People Office, Layla, is a teacup morkie, and she’s got an uncanny ability to make people want to pet her, feed her treats and bring their kids by our offices to meet her and pet her. The biggest bonus is that she makes us feel much less stressed and pressured all day long while we’re working. The picture above is of Layla at our offices this morning. If you’re ever in the area of Prior Lake, Minnesota, during the dog days of summer, stop by and visit with Layla and the rest of our team.
Michael Beach is an award-winning Executive Development Coach, a Master Certified Business Coach, and a Business Advisor who helps fast-growth companies with Executive Development and getting their strategic plans in order. If you’d like more information about Michael Beach Coaching & Consulting, just send Michael an email at info@michaelbeachcoach.com or call us at 651-335-4505.
