It’s mid-July. Wimbledon’s over, the group chats have gone quiet, and half the team’s off somewhere between a beach and an out-of-office message.

The rest of us? Still here. Sort of. It’s an odd time of year. But it’s also revealing, because how your team handles this stretch says a lot more about your culture than any all-hands meeting ever could.

When things slow down, the truth shows up

The gaps in comms, the quiet burnout, the awkward hybrid moments, they’re nothing new, they’re just easier to spot when everything else softens.

Some people push through, while others quietly withdraw, and some over-function to keep the wheels turning (which could lead to burnout). 

And that’s the thing: if your culture only works when everyone’s online, energised and in full swing, it’s probably not that strong to begin with.

The future of work isn’t just tools and tech

It’s not just about AI, Slack threads, or async project boards. It’s about whether your people feel safe to rest. Whether your systems adapt to the messy realities of life. Whether leadership knows how to hold space when things aren’t perfect.

The future belongs to teams that are flexible because they trust each other, not just because the policy says so.

This moment matters

It’s tempting to just ride this quiet spell out and wait for September. But that’s in our opinion that’s a missed opportunity.

This is the perfect time to pause, not just for holidays, but for reflection.

• Is your culture emotionally sustainable?
• Do your managers actually know how to lead people, not just tasks?
• Are your teams really connected, or are they just keeping up appearances?

The answers are in the small things: who feels safe to say “I need a break,” and whether that’s seen as weakness or wisdom.

So, before everyone returns and the diaries fill up again, our advice is to take stock because the world of work is still evolving.

Need help building a culture that bends without breaking?
Let’s talk.