While most people dread Mondays as the start of another long week, changing those paradigms and taking advantage of those Mondays can not only help boost your leadership skills but also help make the rest of the week run more smoothly. Here are some ways to turn those normally dreary slogs of a Monday into a way to prep for a productive week.
Take Inventory
Take the first 15 minutes of your day to take a mental inventory of your week and what you need to focus on. Reflect on your vision and review your strategic documents, protocols, and general operations to make sure everything is still on track and running smoothly. Sometimes when caught up in the day-to-day, you forget to see the forest through the trees, so use this time to look at the big picture before starting off your week.
Set One Major Goal
It’s important that your team keeps growing and developing, and sometimes getting stuck in a repetitive rut can bring that growth to a grinding halt. Setting one major goal for the week can be a great way to keep your team growing, and that sense of accomplishment come Friday can really be a great way to close out a long week. Make sure your goal isn’t too mundane or something that’s part of the normal routine, but also not so ambitious that it takes away from the day-to-day tasks.
Schedule Some Lunches
Schedule at least one employee lunch during the week. This will help serve as a check-in to make sure everything is going well, as well as an open floor to casually discuss any concerns or barriers your team has come up against during the week. It’s a great way to get some good feedback on how the week is going in a low pressure and comfortable environment for your staff.
Focus on The Flaws
Not everyone is perfect, and everyone has their weak areas or things they could work on. Use some time on Monday to do some self-examining and pick one thing you could do better, and try to work on it. It could be something more professional like organization skills or taking on too many projects at once, or something more personal like working on your temper.