In the popsicle biz, June is THE month.
If you can't make it work in June, it won't work. That can make things a bit stressful.
You will sweat, things will break, and pops will melt. Even resting is difficult, because because there is an underlying sense of missing out on something lucrative.
The natural tendency for those who care a lot is to clinch your fists and grind on, postponing anything that can wait until the busy season subsides.
I've lived this path for several years. And when you're on your own or the team is small, it is possible to make it work. However, endless grinding does not scale.
One way to offset this tendency is to schedule "turning off" work together. I've found the very best team building activities take place when time is the tightest. When the stress level is high, take a second to collectively breath together and realize that we are all humans with lots of different things going on.
At King of Pops it's as busy as it gets right now.
Still, last Tuesday our Atlanta cart team went out on the Chattahoochee River. Tubes, drinks, and some food. Only a nine of 30 showed up, but I cannot begin to describe how much better the vibes are after that simple act.
A couple days later our King of Pops management team went out for dinner with +1's. We did our best to talk about anything but work, ordered most of the menu, and enjoyed getting to know each other a bit better.
Both of these events were simple to pull off and fun, which is kinda the point right?
A couple of days later much of the stress has returned. But just behind that tension is a bit more grace. And we're already planning what we'll do next.
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