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Monday night was a crap night.
This week the @neomammalian team came back from our 2-week summer shutdown and I didn't know what to expect.
Would I come back to an inbox chock-full of urgent emails? Would we be able to hit the ground running? Would the work suffer?
(1 of 10)
This week the @neomammalian team came back from our 2-week summer shutdown and I didn't know what to expect.
Would I come back to an inbox chock-full of urgent emails? Would we be able to hit the ground running? Would the work suffer?
(1 of 10)
On top of that, this was @JBarnesyy's first week. I worried we would all be running around and wouldn't be able to support him.
What if the induction pack wasn't good enough? What if he struggled to keep the pace whilst everyone else was mega busy?
(2 of 10)
What if the induction pack wasn't good enough? What if he struggled to keep the pace whilst everyone else was mega busy?
(2 of 10)
You see, closing shop so everyone could take time off to disconnect and recharge was my first big decision as NeoMam's CEO.
I've been bringing this mad idea to meetings year after year, but we always decided against it because of fear.
(3 of 10)
I've been bringing this mad idea to meetings year after year, but we always decided against it because of fear.
(3 of 10)
We were scared our clients wouldn't understand what we were doing and wouldn't be happy about it.
We were scared we wouldn't be able to plan our projects/workload, and that campaigns would suffer.
We worried the stress before and after the shutdown would be too much.
(4 of 10)
We were scared we wouldn't be able to plan our projects/workload, and that campaigns would suffer.
We worried the stress before and after the shutdown would be too much.
(4 of 10)
But the more I thought about how some team members just wouldn't take time off, the more I felt confident about risking all those bad things happening.
I consulted with the team before making the decision and we all agreed to give it a go this year.
(5 of 10)
I consulted with the team before making the decision and we all agreed to give it a go this year.
(5 of 10)
Of course, 2020 wasn't what we had envisioned. We wouldn't be able to travel to dreamy destinations like we had hoped.
But we decided to go ahead with the shutdown because maybe this break would mean more to everyone after such a curveball of a year.
(6 of 10)
But we decided to go ahead with the shutdown because maybe this break would mean more to everyone after such a curveball of a year.
(6 of 10)
And so we did it.
We planned every project, scheduled every due date and launched every campaign with this 2-week break in mind. We let our clients know, turned our computers off and left work behind.
It was a weird thing to do.
(7 of 10)
We planned every project, scheduled every due date and launched every campaign with this 2-week break in mind. We let our clients know, turned our computers off and left work behind.
It was a weird thing to do.
(7 of 10)
Today I sent a short survey to everyone to help me understand how the experience has been for the team. I've been going through the responses with a big smile on my face.
I might write a more in-depth post about it all to share our impressions with other teams.
(8 of 10)
I might write a more in-depth post about it all to share our impressions with other teams.
(8 of 10)
I'm writing this thread because I need to get all these unresolved worries and nerves out of my system before bed.
Our clients don't hate us. Our work didn't suffer. Our team didn't stress out on their return. Our new recruit didn't struggle during his first week.
(9 of 10)
Our clients don't hate us. Our work didn't suffer. Our team didn't stress out on their return. Our new recruit didn't struggle during his first week.
(9 of 10)
I made a big (mad) decision and the world didn't end.
I learned that by putting the team's mental health first, mine came in second.
It won't be the last time I feel like the fate of our business is on my shoulders. Big respect to @dannyashton for doing this for 10 years
I learned that by putting the team's mental health first, mine came in second.
It won't be the last time I feel like the fate of our business is on my shoulders. Big respect to @dannyashton for doing this for 10 years
