December To-Do List
December is a veritable obstacle course for business as usual. The holidays, vacations, school performances, parties and more all make it nearly impossible to stay on schedule and get things done.
So don’t fight it. Lean into the season. Whether you like it or not, things are slowing down, so you might as well like it. The change of pace might do everyone some good. Take advantage of the slower speed to focus on yourself, your team and getting ready for the new year.
For Yourself:
Get Out of the Office. Even if you can’t take a vacation, try to disconnect for at least a couple days. At a minimum, try to take a few mornings or afternoons off. Absolute worst case, work from a coffee shop or home. It’s not exactly work/life balance but it’s probably a needed step in that direction.
Reward yourself. It's great if others appreciate what you've accomplished this year, but don't leave it up to them. Whatever self-care looks like to you, do it!
Clean up your desk. Toss the pile of reports you are never going to read. In the recycling. The same goes for the “To Read” folder on your computer.
Reflect. Dig out your goals for 2019. Think about the highlights and lowlights of the year. What did you learn?
For Your Team:
Walk around. Get out of your office. Chat with people you rarely see. Linger in the break room.
Celebrate. Maybe you have major accomplishments to celebrate; maybe just the fact that you survived. It doesn’t matter. If you can afford a nice holiday event, fantastic. If not, make it a pot luck.
Give folks some time off. Christmas and New Year's are both on Wednesday, so most staff won't be expecting full days off. Feel free to surprise them. At the very least, make sure people clear out early on the 24th and 31st.
For the New Year:
You probably have a budget and some goals for 2020. Now's the time to think about how you can hit the ground running in the new year.
If your budget includes new hires, finalize job descriptions now. You may even want to post them before the end of the year so that you can start the year with a pile of applications to work through.
Prepare a New Year’s message for your staff. Celebrate (and thank them) for the year you just had, acknowledge the challenges, and set the tone for the new year.
See you in 2020