As the holiday season arrives, everyone’s to-do list gets longer and longer. Studies show that worker productivity dips up to 62 percent during this season as activities and stressors increase. Between buying gifts, planning events, and trying to stay on top of projects while many folks are out on vacation, it’s hard to stay focused.
By staying on top of things you can stand out from the crowd, and perhaps even catch up on some items on the back burner before supervisors come back to work – you’ll already be ramped up for the new year!
Some tips to stay in the zone this holiday season:
- Create holiday incentives: Simple offerings such as a two-hour lunch, an additional paid vacation day, or working from home for a day can encourage employees to compete for goals during this time.
- Lay it out: Put everything you need to accomplish in a schedule or in list form, and prioritize which items you’ll do first, both in your personal time and at work.
- Focus: Easier said than done. However, when you’re at work, intentionally focus on work. And the same applies for when you’re at home or out – intentionally focus on where you are. Remind yourself that each day is just a regular day – be as productive as you would be if it were a date in May or October.
- Share accomplishments: Calling your team members out for the hard work they’re putting in during such a stressful time will help everyone continue to be productive.
- Don’t over commit: While this is always true, it can be especially helpful this time of year. If you track all of your commitments in a calendar, intentionally leave space between appointments and responsibilities, and leave yourself a free night now and then.
Have any other good tips for staying on top of things from Thanksgiving through New Year’s? Share them on my LinkedIn page and you’ll receive a copy of a FREE report: What Your HR Consultant Doesn’t Tell You.