The holiday season – through generally a happy time – can also be the most stressful, especially to managers. Holidays creep-up on tight deadlines. Your team members use year-end PTO, and their (and your) family schedules produce more travel and time away.  Performance goals and reviews become additional deliverables. The sun sets before you leave the office, and the weather starts to wear on you and your team.

Here are some ideas and suggestions to boost morale, keep your folks engaged, and head into Q1 with energy and vigor:

Prepare in Advance

Start thinking about the holiday season as Q3 hits and the leaves start to fall. Remind your team to take a look at their PTO and start thinking about holiday time off. Review your time-off system and make sure it will be fair and effective.

Heighten Your Awareness

This is the time when engagement can drop, and folks can even think about making a move.  You’re likely in overdrive trying to end the year strong, but remember to pay close attention to the engagement of your team members. Check in with genuine interest. Talk to them about next year’s plans as a company, and as it relates to their own career development.

Think ‘Diversity’

This is the time of year when peoples’ cultural, religious and ethnic beliefs and traditions can drive daily occurrences – from office absence to cubicle décor; potlucks to the closing words of a team email. Might be a good idea form a Holiday Committee with a diverse group of employees.

Cross-Train

This correlates with thinking in advance. If you can predict where you might be short-staffed and when, get your team prepared to cover for each other. And you may just discover some efficient cross-utilization and untapped talents that could be valuable after the holidays as well.

Motivate

What do we feel is the most effective way to do this? It’s simple: take the time to say ‘thank you.’ That’s it. I’ll never forget two years ago when I was working with a hiring manager and we had been talking on the phone and shooting constant emails back and forth during a particularly stressful week. We snuck in the usual 30-second phone call as I was between meetings and he was on the road, and he said “Hey Ben, one more quick thing…”

“Yes?” I responded.”

“I appreciate ya.” Those three words, at that moment, gave me more spring in my step and internal ‘warm fuzzies’ than any bonus, extra day of PTO, gift card or surprise cupcake on my desk ever did. And it wasn’t even the holiday season, nor my direct supervisor!

Happy holidays to you and your Q4 Dream Team!