The holidays bring on as much stress as they do joy for many of us, and when that’s coupled with the necessity to finish out the end of the year and meet those last few goals, your team may become distracted and run down. However, you can beat the holiday blues with a few simple strategies.
- Give them a final goal. When you end the year with a significant milestone or project, it can excite and motivate everyone. Make sure they have plenty of advance notice and planning time. You want employees to view this as something motivating to accomplish, not a last-minute task hanging around their neck to add on more stress. Make it a goal that everyone can come together to work on and celebrate once finished (and make a big deal about the celebration, acknowledging everyone’s hard work and dedication) as a great way to move into the new year.
- Encourage time off. This may sound counterintuitive at an incredibly busy time of year, but allowing flexibility with schedules means more satisfied employees with less burnout. That, in turn, will have employees ready and focused when they’re at work rather than worrying about getting holiday chores accomplished or seeing their child in a holiday performance. Your employees give a lot to the company during the year; it’s more than fair that you allow time off here and there at this time … although it’s certainly fair as well that you have them plan as far in advance as possible to keep on top of everything.
- Keep it positive. While not everyone celebrates Christmas, it’s usually a festive time of year, and that goes beyond personal beliefs. So, you might want to have a plate of cookies in the break room, encourage dress-down days or have an ugly sweater contest, and celebrate small successes. If it looks as though employees have become too stressed, take note and give them an extended lunch … that you bring in. And remember to celebrate successes large and small, especially as you get closer to reaching that goal.
If you want to keep employees motivated during the holidays, pay attention to their needs and help them find a balance between work and play, encouraging the most positive versions of both. If you want advice for medical hiring, visit Medical Professionals.
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