The Pinicon Holiday Party was held last Friday, and Linda and I just returned from our annual post-harvest desert hiking retreat. It is mid-December, and our operational focus has shifted to "winter mode." 

It took me a while to appreciate, but for all its disadvantages (need I list them?) the winter season's advantage is we can be more purposeful, flexible, and relaxed due to fewer time-sensitive tasks.

For the next three months, the operations Team works Monday through Thursday. Everyone is encouraged to take time off to pursue new passions or embrace old ones.

To the extent we can allow our full-time staff freedom in the offseason, we have found this to be a highly valued benefit.

Just as critical, leadership needs space to see the big picture and reinvigorate. Smart work which leads to financial success is just a means to an end.

The motivation that inspires and transcends generations requires a higher purpose than making money. 

By reducing our weekly production targets, we can proactively redirect our mental energy to examine, reflect, and imagine. Admittedly, there are no guarantees if or when the next farm-changing insight will emerge. The creative process is random and unpredictable. But by setting aside a few months of the year to emphasize self-scrutiny, future possibilities, radical thought experiments, and alternate realities, we create a culture of openness, innovation, experimentation, and confidence in our vision.

So, if you stop at Bert's office sometime in the next couple of months and find him deep in thought, or better yet out snowmobiling in the mountains of Wyoming, know everything is well.

He is doing the important work of replenishing and visualizing. 

Jim