Fall, Fourth Quarter, Football and other F words.

Now come on… it’s not what you’re thinking, but if you laughed or inserted your own commentary beginning with F, that might be some foreshadowing about the upcoming season. The typical fall season is where we fall back (in most states) on our clocks, prepare for anticipated fourth quarter sales and traffic, and try to work in all those fun activities with friends, families, tail gate party goers, and fellow holiday shoppers. See there, fun, fellow, friends, and family…all f words. However, how we handle this season almost always predicts how we will feel in the early part of 2012.

This is not the time to give up on goals until the year resets in January. This is not the time to coast or usually sit back and relax and just watch all the action. This is the time when we gear up, get ready, and go for it. Okay, so those are g words, but how many of them are you putting into place?

What is in store for your fall season? What is in store for your fourth quarter? Have you had a team huddle, used your Contagious Leadership skills to rally the team to get ready for this coming season? If not, there’s still time and still an opportunity to do so before summer completely disappears. Here are a few steps to help you plan:

1. Determine your “Before the Year Ends” goals
2. Record what you need to put into place before the season gets really busy? Why not get those holiday customer cards now? Why not plan the holiday office party now? What if you were to assess your promotions for the next several months and send items off to print, or stock up, or begin employee training now, instead of when everyone is distracted by whether or not they should say “happy holidays” or “Merry Christmas”?
3. Why not proactively ask employees about time off needs for the remainder of the year now to minimize surprises or last minute requests.
4. Consider the potential barriers to achieving what you want in the fourth quarter and find a way to help them “Fall Away” before they get here.
5. Use your Contagious Communication™ skills to rally team members, share your goals, and reiterate your expectations.

This time of year can be fun-filled and fabulous or freakishly stressful and full of energy zappers. Your take on the coming months will no doubt be contagious, just as your mind set is all year long and the actions you take now, may mean the difference between being bummed or pleased with the performance of the team you lead in January. What are you doing to prepare for a great next few months?

Want more information or need help?

Go to www.ContagiousCompanies.com and click on the Training or Store section. There you will find resources to boost your communication to those you lead and perhaps even a tool for you as the leader to develop your goals you’re your expectations of employees. Maybe it’s time for a Contagious Leadership™ or Contagious Communication™ training class before 4^th quarter kicks into high gear?

Stay Contagious!

Monica