Don’t Let Summer Derail Your Strategy
Smart ways to sustain momentum while your team takes well-deserved time off
Summer can be great for PTO—but rough on momentum.
As out-of-office messages pile up and calendars get chaotic, progress tends to slow—especially for teams navigating transformation, growth, or cross-functional initiatives.
In fact, a Captivate Network study found that:
Productivity drops by 20% during the summer
Attendance declines by 19%
Distractions increase by 45%
The summer slowdown is real—but it’s also predictable. And that makes it manageable.
At WorkWell, we help teams plan through uncertainty and keep moving—even when the pace shifts.
Here’s how high-performing teams stay focused, aligned, and effective during the summer months.
1. Plan for Summer—Don’t Just Work Around It
Plan for summer now. Take time to reassess goals and projects already in flight. What absolutely needs to move forward between now and Labor Day—and how can you adapt your approach to ensure it does? That Q3 launch might still be viable, but it may need a phased rollout or leaner decision path to stay in motion while key players are out.
Look ahead to planned vacations and PTO, and adjust your timelines before you hit bottlenecks. If a major deliverable falls during a week when three team members are out, shift the schedule or redistribute the workload.
For projects that can’t afford delays—like product rollouts, executive reviews, or compliance deadlines—set specific summer milestones and assign clear backup owners. If your lead approver is out, who steps in? If your comms lead is away, who pushes the draft across the finish line?
This isn’t just about coverage—it’s about continuity. Designing for summer doesn’t pause progress; it protects it.
2. Anchor Progress Around Milestones—Not Meetings
When calendars get chaotic, regular touchpoints often fall apart. People are out, meetings get cancelled, and progress stalls—not because teams aren’t working, but because they’re waiting.
Instead of relying on real-time coordination, design work around deliverables:
Break down large initiatives into short-term milestones
Set 4–6 week targets that create momentum without constant sync
Track ownership and blockers visibly in shared tools
Example: Instead of a weekly marketing sync, assign summer deliverables—like campaign drafts or updated materials—with milestone deadlines. Teams can post progress in Slack or Teams without needing a live meeting.
Milestones create shared direction—even when no one’s in the same room.
3. Rebalance Roles and Reinvest in Growth
Summer is a natural midpoint. It’s an ideal time to reflect, realign, and reinvest in your team.
Use this time for mid-year check-ins: What’s working? Where’s there room to grow?
Consider shifting responsibilities or offering stretch roles to rising talent
Revisit team capacity and uncover untapped strengths while things are quieter
Example: A project coordinator might be ready to lead a small workstream while a senior manager is on PTO. Or an analyst could temporarily support another department to learn cross-functional skills. These stretch opportunities not only support summer continuity—they also build your bench strength.
Growth doesn’t stop when the pace slows. In fact, sometimes it becomes possible because it does.
4. Keep the Plan Visible—Even When People Aren’t
When team members are in and out, clarity becomes currency.
Make sure the summer plan doesn’t live in one person’s head—or one meeting that not everyone attended:
Post updates in shared team spaces (e.g., Teams, Slack, Notion)
Assign clear owners and deadlines that everyone can access
Use simple progress boards or weekly status messages to keep everyone in the loop
Example: A quick Monday post summarizing the week’s priorities or a Friday “weekly wrap-up” message can help teams stay aligned and informed. For larger efforts, a living dashboard with milestone tracking gives visibility even when people log in from different time zones (or beach chairs).
Asynchronous alignment keeps momentum alive—and progress in motion.
Final Thought
Summer doesn’t have to mean slowdown. With smart planning, clear priorities, and a little more flexibility, teams can stay aligned and impactful—even when out-of-office replies are at an all-time high.
At WorkWell, we help organizations navigate change without losing momentum. If you’re ready to build a summer plan that keeps your business moving, let’s chat.