Many jobs have peaks and valleys related to time and how busy you are. Are you experiencing a slower season at work? Maybe you have just wrapped up a large project or made it through a big event. You find yourself with some unexpected downtime. What are some ways you can continue to grow during this time? Read on for 5 productive ways to stay engaged at work during slower times.
Professional Development
Re-visit your professional development goals for the year. Were there courses you wanted to take to learn or improve certain skills? Research options for courses or conferences that will help you meet your professional development goals. There are often resources available on-demand that you could use during this time.
If there is not a course or conference that you can start right away, this time spent researching will still prove valuable in planning out your professional development activities for the rest of the year and uncovering some new options.
Keep in mind any options that may be available to you through your company or professional associations of which you are a member.
Improving Current Projects or Processes
Evaluate your ongoing projects or processes you complete on a daily basis. Is there a current process you work on that could be improved? Perhaps you have completed a task the same way many times, but always meant to go back and streamline certain items or create templates to save time. Now is your opportunity to improve these processes.
New Projects
Look at new projects you can take on in your current role. Talk with your boss and colleagues. Is there a new project you can take on that will help you learn a skill you want? Can a new project help with your own professional development goals?
Often, there may be a project that was put on the back burner that you were not aware of and during your downtime, can pick this up and start to breathe new life into it. Is there a project of your own that you have been wanting to start but have not had the time? Slower seasons at work are a great time to look into these projects.
Reading
I have always loved reading and believe it is a great way to learn. What books or articles can you read to learn more about your subject area or industry? What books are outside of your subject area that might expand your mind?
I have a running list of books ready to go for when I finish the current one. In choosing the next book, I review the list to see which one resonates the most right now. Similarly, I always have several articles bookmarked on my computer. The ones I want (or need) to read, I read right away. But there are many others that are less urgent to read or look interesting that I save for later.
Making New Connections or Re-Connecting
Having some downtime in your work cycle is a great time to reach out to colleagues you may not know as well, or have not connected with recently, for a one-to-one conversation to learn more about their work. Meeting for coffee or lunch is always nice, but a virtual coffee is a great option as well. I always found these networking conversations to be valuable, both in strengthening work relationships, but also uncovering opportunities to collaborate in ways that we had not thought about previously.
Think broadly about your connections and networking. Are there clients, vendors or other professional contacts you have been meaning to reach out to? Now is a great time to schedule one-to-one conversations or even send a quick email.
Experiencing a slower season at work gives you the great gift of time to explore these actions to learn, grow and discover new ways of thinking about your work. Use these strategies to help you make the most productive use of your gift of time.