This article is written by Rell Deshaw, retired former manager from the government of Canada.

I often receive inspiration when I read about other disciplines. Recently, I dug into a book about a master carpenter who arrived at a job site one day with nothing to do. Trouble was, the day stretched to a week. He wasn’t able to dive into his intended work and yet was being paid to be there. The carpenter ended up doing an analysis of the architectural drawings for the builds he would eventually do. He did a couple of close reviews and then wrote a report on his observations and findings. The week came to a close, and he presented the report to a supervisor, and they were bowled over by his work. This set the tone for a deeper and more respectful relationship going forward.

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We all have these periods at our jobs – perhaps your boss is unexpectedly away, or your big project has been shelved due to a change in priorities. In other moments you might find that the job you once loved has just become a bit too routine after some time at the wheel.

Work lulls can be important spaces to recover from a swirl, as well as times to attend to administrative tasks like document filing.

There are ways to reignite your spark at work. Your government needs your talent, and your reputation depends on finding a way to continue making a meaningful contribution.

For seasoned workers, maybe it is time to transition to being a teacher/coach/mentor:

I remember hearing a lecture from the founder of Cirque du Soleil where he talked about successive careers at the company: performers could become coaches. Maybe your place of work has space for you as a lecturer, or maybe you can write a document to explain your role to others. Along the way, you may deepen your mastery in your role through explaining how you do what you do.

Can you propose a better way of doing your current job?:

Everyone has gripes about the things that don’t work so well in their jobs. Maybe this is the time to more closely observe your processes and recommend improvements. This may include getting permission to do a survey, a desk audit or a complete a journey mapping of existing work. This needn’t be a massive undertaking which would impede operations. For a process I am running, I will take just 20 files and do a small analysis on them. You might also consider how other governments (or even other industries) are doing things and see if you can find some inspiration.

Do some self-study:

I am continually amazed at the resources found simply on our departmental intranet – self-paced courses, manuals for officers, reports, etc. Apolitical also has a huge range of high-calibre self-paced courses to offer, and many are free. I am also impressed with the power of my library card to give me access to additional platforms for free such as LinkedIn Learning. I used that platform to beef up my understanding of OneNote during the pandemic. I have also used Udemy in my own time (courses are often less than $20 on sale) to become better at editing written work. YouTube is also a great resource for learning new things. Finally, I have benefitted from free apps and podcasts to improve my second language knowledge, such as Duolingo.

Do some brainstorming to generate new ideas:

I find brainstorming a very energy-giving pursuit. If you might be the same, here are some possible leads:

  • I’m a great fan of “appreciative enquiry” – basically, pick something that is going well and see if you can supersize that.
  • You might try “reverse brainstorming” for an unconventional way of generating good ideas. You think about how you’d achieve the worst possible outcomes (e.g. appointments systems require complex entry and crash at peak volume moments). You can then flip the equation to come back to a vision for a more ideal state.

Consider if there is a way to gain a different perspective on your files:

Some quick hit suggestions:

  • Can you visit a different region or a particular operational centre?
  • Can you ask to shadow a senior executive for the day?
  • Can you ask for an information interview with someone in a key role with some targeted questions?

Revisit your original motivations that led you to take the job you have:

If you are lucky enough to have chosen the job you have now, do some time travel back to your mindset when you felt that initial enthusiasm – is there any part of that spark that can be revived?

Finally, see if you can find inspiration in your possible legacy:

I found that this article from Harvard Business Review about what to do when you are “checked out” makes a powerful point about how to pivot when you are feeling a job lag. You must ask yourself:

“What do you want to be known for?”

In the end, our work lulls can be important spaces to recover from a swirl, as well as times to attend to administrative tasks like document filing. That said, lulls can also be times to think about ways to be of greater service to our governments.

Done reading? Make sure to share your own tips by leaving a comment below ⬇️

(Image credit: Unsplash)