Paul Hargreaves’ Post

Most people have done it, but my new year's resolution this year is to start a blog on the streams of thoughts that sometimes keep me awake (excited) at night. Still need to figure out logistics about sharing the site etc, but the 1st entry is about the (new) meaning of holiday and leave. The gist is that when (parts of) our jobs have high time boundedness (deadline/due date) and low space boundedness (can be done anywhere), then holidays/leave loses their traditional meanings.

Summer holidays, woohoo! But what if you don’t actually take time off in August? Not everyone takes their summer holidays in the Summer Holidays, after all. But then you’re stuck at your desk whilst it feels like everyone else is outside enjoying the weather and eating their body weight in ice-cream! Your clients are away, no-one’s there to answer your sales calls and every marketing email you send out gets an out-of-office autoresponse. What does that do to your motivation? It’s barely there, right? You might promise yourself that you’ll do all those little jobs you said you’d do when it was a bit quieter, less frantic, but now that time has come and they’re the last things you want to get done! Which is when it’s time to think about getting some help…because those jobs still need to get done. Soon enough it’ll be September and you swore blind you’d start Q4 organised and ready for the autumn run up to Christmas. So get in touch. Outsourcing the jobs that hoover up your time to a VA not only means you don’t have to do them yourself, but will give you some time back to go and enjoy a Mr Whippy in the park!  

As summer approaches, we're all starting to think about booking time off. Here's how to make sure your team are prepared for their holidays: https://buff.ly/4a4jY3R"

While still a small team, we're growing. I have been slowly tackling some corporate culture thinking because I want to avoid becoming an agency that drives people into the ground. Here are a few things we do to be a good place to work: 1. Avoid asking the team to work after hours. If they do work after hours ensure it is counted at 1.5x and available as time in lieu. 2. Give people a break. We try to take lunch together at around the same time each day. 3. Enjoy as many holidays as possible. We provide three paid days for observations: Labour Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and Remembrance Day. We also take eight other paid holidays along with a half day on St. Paddy's Day. We close for Christmas and it doesn't count against vacation time. 4. This summer we're closing the entire shop from August 2 until August 11 for a team vacation so we're assured we will be able to leave work behind and relax. We have more on the go and more planned but I'd love to hear from others ... What does your small business do to be a great place to work?

During my summer holiday 🏖️, a sentence from an article caught my attention and resonated with me: “There is never a perfect time for a holiday, but there is never a bad time either.” Taking a break 🧳✈️ is essential for both physical and mental well-being. It gives us the opportunity to reset and reconnect with what truly matters. A holiday can boost creativity, productivity, and problem-solving abilities by recharging the mind. I also found these three summer holiday 🌞 reflections from the article particularly insightful: - The importance of setting directional challenges over numerical targets. - Building brands takes time ⌛, craftsmanship, and dedication. - Patience is key when explaining what we know to others and learning from those who know what we don’t. I hope your summer holidays are filled with meaningful reflections! #marketingstrategy #marketinggoals #marketingKPI #customerstrategy #CRM #takingbreak #summerholiday

All of us are waiting for Christmas Holidays from 20th to 2nd of January. That means, we still have important things to do: - Register vacation form in HR system 🤗 - Block out your calendar with "OOO" until 2nd of January 🗓️ - Put "Out-of-Office" automatic reply - the sillier the better 🌴 - Decline and cancel all meetings that will happen during your vacation 🫣 - Choose Christmas-related Teams background 🎄 - Wear your "ugly" Christmas sweater at least once - Say "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New year" to colleagues that you won't meet until next year 🎅 - End all meetings with "We will resume this next year" 🆕 - Conveniently schedule important meetings for next year with excuse "It does not make sense to start it before holidays" 😶🌫️ - Finish buying presents online (we all do it, do not lie) 🎁 - Do some actual work 🫠 #christmaschecklist #humor #DanskeBankFCRP

The holiday season is a time of joy, family, and well-deserved rest for many. But behind the scenes, there’s a group of people working tirelessly to make sure it all runs smoothly—your HR department. For every vacation request approved, every schedule adjusted, and every last-minute challenge resolved, there’s an HR professional putting in the effort to ensure that everyone gets the chance to spend time with their loved ones. While others are celebrating, we’re making sure the work continues, balancing the needs of employees and the organization. It’s not always an easy task, and sometimes, it feels like these efforts go unnoticed. But we do it because we care. We care about the people who make the company what it is, and we care about creating an environment where balance and understanding are possible—even during the busiest times. So this holiday season, take a moment to thank your HR team. A little appreciation goes a long way in making all that effort worthwhile. To my fellow HR colleagues, remember this: what you do matters. You are the glue that holds everything together during the most hectic times of the year. Let’s keep pushing forward with compassion and dedication, knowing that our work makes a difference. Happy holidays to all, and here’s to teamwork and gratitude!

Going back to work after annual leave is hard As soon there is a break in my routine and the work flow stops...I find it so hard to get back into the groove I absolutely LOVE my job and LOVED my holiday, but wowie I felt all lost during my first week back, not knowing where to start Panicked a bit...thought I'd lost my touch Taking annual leave used to make me feel anxious because of this feeling But it's okay, okay to ease your way back in at a slower pace Expecting to go straight back into that fast paced flow and workload when you've just spent a week in a whole different mindset is not realistic You WILL get back into it, just need a little time Things that helped during that first week back: - Keeping the to do list and calls a little lower - Stayed in the environment my mindset is at it's best (the office) - Letting my boss know how I was feeling - Amy Wild was super reassuring - Taking smaller frequent breaks All that time you spent decompressing was important, don't run into the wall and expect it to move, take it brick by brick 🧘♀️

🎄 Sales Teams + Holidays: The Ultimate Balancing Act 🎄 Let’s be honest—managing a sales team during the holidays can feel like herding cats. The pressure to close deals clashes with the pull of vacation days, holiday parties, and end-of-year burnout. ❌ What doesn’t work: Micromanaging every move. Unrealistic expectations. Ignoring the need for downtime. ✅ What drives results: Clear priorities: Focus on high-impact deals. Flexibility: Allow time for family and recharge. Motivation: Celebrate wins, big or small, to keep morale high. The holidays aren’t an excuse—they’re an opportunity to build trust and finish the year strong. How are YOU leading your team through December? #SalesLeadership #HolidaySeason #LeadershipMatters #MotivationMonday #TeamManagement #EndOfYearGoals #WorkplaceCulture #SalesMotivation #BusinessLeadership #SalesStrategy #HolidayHustle #FinishStrong #InspireTeams

I got sick of people telling me to "take holidays off" Here's what I did on Christmas Day instead: → 100 DMs to potential clients → 2 weeks of content ready → 120 follow-ups to leads → 100 replies on X And yes indeed. I was still with the fam. How? Simple - I was present. Here's the truth about success: - Your competition are not resting - Your prospects need real solutions - Opportunities don't take the holidays - Success doesn't have an actual schedule Think about it: Would you hire someone who: A) Shows up consistently all day every day B) Takes all and every single holiday off The answer is pretty obvious isn't it. Success rewards hard work people. And not excuses about holidays. *** PS - Still got 400 replies to go from my last resource. How was your holiday from 1 out of 10? Share below 👇