While the time of end-of-year reports and planning for the new year has started, remember that getting a head start before the holidays will help you land on your feet when you’re back in the office after the midnight countdown. Generally, employees are strapped for time. Many associations and other employers will be closing for one or two weeks at the end of the year to give their staff some additional holiday time with friends and family, which is a great benefit. Other employers will be providing additional flexibility for staff to attend holiday performances at schools and other holiday-related commitments. When January 2 rolls around, there’s a lot on everyone’s plates. Let’s not forget that even after the stress of the holidays is over, 6-14% of employees will be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (according to the National Institute of Health).
Create the light at the end of the tunnel now, and communicate with your team about your thoughts for next year’s goals. Start the new year with specific, achievable goals, and support your employees in achieving those goals. Sometimes additional telework privileges or remote work time can be helpful in carving out time to achieve goals. Use SMART criteria for goal setting to jump-SMART the New Year.
For some of us, the quiet time this time of year when everyone is out of the office with their holiday commitments is some of our most productive time–time for thinking and planning to get a head start on the new year. For others, it’s hard to maintain work and personal demands. In either case, with some thought and planning this month, as well as time off from work demands to refresh and rejuvenate, we can start the new year with fresh motivation and momentum.
Are you considering a retreat to strengthen your team in the new year? I just facilitated two retreats last month. The first was a team-building retreat for the American Women’s Club of Antwerp‘s Board of Directors. We used the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to learn more about our preferences and how they affect decision-making. A great tool for the new year! The second retreat was an InterNations event in Amsterdam to discuss the Fascination Advantage Personality Assessment and how understanding how you are perceived by others can help you build your personal brand, as well as work with others more effectively.
Contact me to facilitate your next retreat or discuss how these assessments can improve your team performance in 2020.
Photos courtesy American Women’s Club of Antwerp.
