Happy New Year everyone and welcome back to BNI.
Hopefully most of you had the chance to have a holiday and recharge the batteries over the Christmas and New Year break. We know it can be challenging getting into work mode and getting back into the swing of things at BNI so here are 3 tips for beating the back to work blues.
1. Be present.
Turning up with a holiday mindset can cause problems at work, ranging from lack of concentration on the tasks at hand to forgetting appointments and the names of new clients. Your clients, employees and colleagues might give you a little leeway, especially if some are in the same position, but not for long. Accept that you’ve had a great break and that you’re refreshed; now it’s time to get on with what you’re great at in a work environment.
2. Tidy up.
If you left a mess before you went on vacation, now’s the time to fix it! Upon your return, ease back into work by spending a morning or day organising your space. Tidy up your desk space, clean out your inbox and e-files. Returning to this more efficient and tidy work system and space will make you feel better each day of the rest of the week.
3. Plan the next vacation.
It can help the transition if you start making plans immediately for the next vacation experience. You might have a travel broker in your chapter to help you plan a travel itinerary. Doing this might give you a renewed sense of adventure and make work seem less onerous; after all, work pays for those holidays!
The start of the year means it’s also a good time to think about inviting new people as visitors to your chapter to see how we do business. Last year we had a focus on sharing the message of the importance of networking with young people. Why not invite some younger businesspeople to your chapter to experience BNI in 2017? Think about friends, family or your wider circle.
This is what Deborah Nesti, member of BNI North Harbour, did with her son Samuel Nobilo who is now a member of BNI Business Hub. Deborah introduced Sam to BNI as a visitor when he was in the navy so he could experience our structured way of networking, firsthand. When he moved into the financial industry he began subbing for his mother at her chapter and with his success with referrals and learning about other businesses, he joined a local chapter as a member himself.
