Both believers and non-believers in global warming have used legitimate data to support their respective claims. This week, the non-believers’ job is easier.

Regardless of what may or may not be happening at the polar extremes, or on the planet as a whole, there’s little argument that much of the northern hemisphere is just flat-out cold right now. The air outside my Jacksonville, Florida office is about 26 degrees F this morning at 9:00, which is way cold by our standards. We’ll get no sympathy, though, from Des Moines, where it’s -8; or from Boone, NC, where it’s 7; or even from Warsaw, Poland, where it’s 21 at midday.

If it’s true that Contented Cows Give Better Milk, it’s equally true that shivering employees can’t get much work done, especially if they’re not used to it (workers on Alaska’s North Slope have this mastered, but most of the rest of us don’t.) So, at least until the thaw (not expected here in sunny North Florida until sometime late next week), here are some things to think about:

• Did budget woes kill the free coffee and other hot drinks? Bring ‘em back for a week. Buy a box of it from Starbucks, or Dunkin, or some other place. Pay for it out of your own pocket if you have to. Tell your team that if certain productivity or other goals are met by the time your city’s low temperature for the day is above freezing, the free perk will continue for a time.
• Having a team meeting this week? Serve hot mulled apple cider and hot green tea. You won’t make everyone happy, but you’ll come close.
• Of course, keep the inside temp as comfortable as you can afford. Suspend the usual dress code if you can. Let people wear hats inside. And gloves if it’s safe and doesn’t interfere with work.
• Give extra consideration to people who work near outside doors. Bank tellers, supermarket cashiers and restaurant hosts/hostesses get really cold from the constant blast of arctic air every time a customer enters, especially if your building doesn’t have a little foyer like so many buildings up north do. Yesterday I went into a restaurant where the hostess had abandoned her post, standing instead, near the warm kitchen, hoping to spy customers as they came in from the cold.  She wasn’t “allowed” to wear a coat over her uniform, and was freezing. Who can blame her? Her manager apparently did.
• Watch out for DIY workspace heating. People will resort to creative, and often hazardous tactics to stay warm, if they feel their employer isn’t looking after their best interests. Invest in some high-quality ceramic space heaters. Make sure the electrical system can handle the load. Put them away when things get back to normal.
• The south could see snow this week in places that don’t know how to deal with it. Workers in Buffalo and Anchorage generally get on with it.  Not the case in Atlanta, or Raleigh. Does everyone really need to drive into the office every day to do their work? Have you taken measures to provide for occasional telecommuting when schools are closed and road conditions are treacherous?
• To paraphrase one of our favorite legendary leaders of the past, General Melvin Zais, “get out of your warm office and wander down to the barracks.” Walk around and make sure your folks are comfortable enough to do their jobs well, serve your customers, and make money for your bottom line.

Stay warm!

Assignment: hit the comment button and let us know:

• what city you’re in
• how cold it was outside during the workday today
• what you did to make sure your workers were comfortable enough to do good work

Richard Hadden (twitter at http://twitter.com/rehadden) is a leadership speaker, author, and consultant who helps organizations improve their business results by creating a great place to work. He and Bill are the authors of the acclaimed business classic Contented Cows Give Better Milk, and the followup Contented Cows MOOve Faster. Learn more about them and their work at ContentedCows.com.