Last night I gave my husband a bit of a shock.
As he walked through the door after work, ready to put his feet up and relax, he was greeted with the list of projects he had promised would be finished “by Christmas”. And the reminder that he now had just six weeks to get them done.
Interesting conversation that!
The “plenty of time, I’ll start or finish this next week or next year” mantra is officially banned.
You and your team might be feeling a little the same way right now. It’s not quite time to start the Christmas celebrations. The summer holidays are still a way off, and with the election behind us but the outcome still to be determined, it can feel like we’re in a bit of a holding pattern.
This is when the end-of-year malaise can creep in.
People lose momentum, priorities become less clear and before you know it, everyone is twiddling their thumbs and treading water until Christmas. This represents a huge loss of opportunity.
But it needn’t be that way!
Mid November still leaves plenty of time to start or complete or plan for the success of projects by Christmas.
There is still time to finish the year on a high, achieve the things you set out to do and put yourself in a great position to hit the ground running in the new year.
5 ways to keep your team focused, motivated and delivering.
1. Revisit your Annual Plan
Take stock of where you are.
Look at the goals and priorities you set at the beginning of the year. What has been achieved? What is still outstanding? What absolutely needs to be completed before Christmas, and what can realistically move into next year? A clear picture of what’s left to do helps everyone focus their energy where it matters most.
2. Give your team something to aim for
Set some clear, achievable goals for the final six weeks of the year. Having targets and agreed actions gives people a sense of purpose and helps build momentum. Celebrate progress along the way and make sure everyone understands how their contribution will help finish the year successfully.
People like to have goals to aim for. It allows them to round off the year with some success and a sense of achievement.
3. Get January sorted now – Setting up the year for success.
What does the start of next year look like for your business? Are you recruiting? Launching a new service or promotion? Kicking off a project or implementing a new strategy?
Don’t leave all your planning and preparation until everyone returns from their summer break. This approach tends to drag on and on until, before you know it, with all the holidays and annual leave that people take over summer, it is mid February before you have even started planning.
Then often busyness takes over quite suddenly and you can find yourself deep in the weeds before you have even thought about and planned the best way of managing certain projects.
Get the groundwork done now so you can start 2027 on the front foot.
4. Check in with your people
Christmas can be a time when people reflect on their careers and consider what they want from the year ahead. It is not unusual for businesses to experience a little more turnover after the summer break. A simple Pulse Survey or some meaningful conversations can help you understand how your people are feeling, identify any concerns and take action where needed. Small things that improve the employee experience now can make a real difference to whether people are still excited to be part of your team when they return.
5. Make time for development
Don’t put learning and development on hold just because the year is winding down. Short, sharp training sessions, lunch and learns or team development activities can keep people engaged, introduce fresh ideas and help build capability. Sometimes a little investment in development is exactly what is needed to re-energise a team.
Finish the year with a bang!
Goals, enthusiasm and action are all important ingredients in motivation and achievement. If you want your business to finish the year strongly, take the lead, find your own momentum and inspire it in your team.
Plan so that the end of the year isn’t a drag to the finish line but actually a chance for everyone to have a sense of achievement and feel successful. This means your team head off on their holidays in a positive frame of mind, with good thoughts about their workplace.
At Positive People, we have over 30 years’ experience helping New Zealand businesses build motivated, engaged and high-performing teams.
Contact us on 0800 49 00 00 or info@positivepeople.co.nz for support to get your people energised, focused and ready for a strong finish to 2026.