It's Wicked Cold Out

Do NOT stick your tongue on the flagpole

If you have people in the office this month, you may need to brace yourself for the coming heating bill, especially in the northeast and northern midwest. This is what it’s like here right now:

Ideally, find ways to cut back on heating fuel bills. Consider window covering or treatments that can insulate (like honeycomb shades) or that can allow sunlight to heat the interior spaces (and consider exterior shades to keep that same space cooler in the summers).

If people are working from home, try to keep the heat down in the unused parts of the office. Just make sure that the temperature remains warm enough to keep the pipes from freezing.

Remember that dealing with cold, dark days can drain many people’s mental energy. Find ways to build your people up and recharge their mental batteries. One suggestion: on cold or snowy days, have an office pool for guessing the lowest temperature that your town might hit and/or how many inches of snow will fall. Give the winner either a funny prize (“It’s a pint of Ben & Jerry’s! In January! When it’s -12° out!”) or something for warming, like a new mug or a box of hot cocoa mix. Repeat as needed.

(Photo credit: iPhone screenshot)