Published on: 25/06/2025
By Christina | Beyond the Task
I was looking for inspiration about my first post but then the “heat” hit me 😉 so I thought “Great that is really a very relatable idea for my first post — it blends seasonal observation with real project-life tension, all I can give it all my personal voice.
☀️ That Time of Year Again…
There’s something strange that happens when the summer months roll in.
The sun shines a little brighter, people smile more, and suddenly… every project seems to slow to a crawl. Meetings get rescheduled, tasks are postponed, and dependencies vanish into vacation auto-replies.
It’s like everyone silently agrees:
“We’ll deal with it after summer.”
As a project manager, you start to feel it early. One person’s out this week, another next week, and that “quick approval” is now delayed by three weeks. Your beautifully structured timeline? Suddenly full of gaps. And no matter how strong your planning was, the summer haze sets in like clockwork.
🚨 While Projects Nap, Management Sprints
Ironically, while the project pace slows, management often speeds up — especially in companies where the fiscal year ends in the summer.
Controlling starts buzzing. Dashboards are blinking. And your inbox is flooded with reminders to:
- Close purchase orders
- Finalize deliverables
- Align financials
- Update forecasts
You’re pushing to get things done, but half the decision-makers are sipping sangria on a beach. It’s chaos wrapped in sunscreen.
🔄 It’s Not the Vacation — It’s the Misalignment
The issue isn’t time off. Time to recharge is healthy and necessary.
The real problem? Our deadlines and deliverables often ignore the rhythm of summer. We act like it’s business as usual — while real life is anything but.
✅ What Helps Me Navigate the Summer Haze
Here are a few lessons I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way):
- 📆 Plan the summer slowdown. Treat July and August like known risk periods.
- 🌴 Use a visible team vacation calendar. It avoids surprises.
- ⏳ Don’t stack key deadlines mid-summer. If you need approvals, plan ahead.
- 🧭 Set clear expectations with leadership. Progress happens, just slower.
- ☕ Give yourself grace. You’re not lazy — you’re working through the fog.
🌻 Embracing the Season You’re In
Summer doesn’t have to derail productivity. But it does require a shift in mindset.
Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is acknowledge the season you’re in — and lead your projects with the rhythm of life, not against it.
💬 Your Turn
How does your summer project season feel? Do things slow down for you, or do they speed up?
Leave a comment below — I’d love to hear how you manage projects through the haze. ☀️
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Beyond the Task | A Blog on Work & Growth 
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