Blackout day

You may be familiar with the concept of Blackout Days if you travel for business or pleasure. This is typically when your discounts, promotions or specials are unavailable, specifically around holidays or heavy travel times. We’ve taken the positive aspect of this, with the help of our business coach, and adapted the concept to our company culture. Blackout Days for us are not a negative; they’re an opportunity to thrive.

It’s very easy to get caught up in the answering game – answering emails, phone calls, internal questions, the meaning of life (ok, maybe that doesn’t cross our minds every day, but it happens). Every time we stop what we’re doing to answer a red dot and a ding, we are breaking concentration from what we’re intending to work on. That’s where Blackout Day comes into play.

The concept is for one day each month we eliminate all outside communication and solely focus on our success list. What needs our most attention? What have we been wanting to work on? What has a deadline that needs my focus on? Blackout Day is a chance to dig in our heels and get ahead. It allows us to better serve our clients.

There are 5 simple rules:

• No email – we close our emails for the entire day, eliminating the feeling, “I’ll just answer that quickly.”
• No phones – we turn off the ringer to the office and our cell phones.
• No meetings – with clients or with one another.
•  Create a success list – what do you want to accomplish during your time?
• Adhere to the rules – that means everyone, including the boss.

The result? Happy people who feel accomplished. We recap at the end of the day about what we each accomplished, celebrating each person. Everyone feels like they’ve put in a solid day and leaves feeling like they’ve gotten ahead. It clears our minds for the next day, knowing we’ve set one another and ourselves up for success.

When Blackout Day is not in full swing, we still try to practice similar habits. When there is a project or deadline that needs our full attention, we eliminate the distractions that would take us away from achieving those goals. Sometimes that means turning off our email for a few hours. Sometimes that means plugging in, listening to music and knocking it out. Each person has his or her own style.

I encourage you and your team to give it a shot. It may seem weird at first, but once you get in the groove of the day, you’ll experience just how much you actually can cross off your list. Don’t feel guilty for not answering people – you’re doing something to serve them better. You’re creating a healthy atmosphere for your team to thrive.