I was working with a leader this week who mentioned they’d noticed their workload has gone up a notch. As we discussed the multiple projects and deadlines that she was juggling she made an interesting observation, “I have started my race toward the end of the year.”
This is a common thing that I see with many people toward the middle of October. People realise that there are only 9 weeks until Christmas, so the demands of clients and other people start to increase. Everyone knows that they are on borrowed time to get as many things done as possible, before the holiday season starts to hit (I have not seen any Christmas items in the shops yet, but they normally start putting them out in the next couple of weeks!)
So this brings me to some question: What is your plan to win the race toward the end of the year? Have you started to plan ahead to look at your workload, the numerous tasks and projects that you have coming and started to get on the front foot? Have you started checking in with your people to see how their plan is going for the last quarter of the year and ensure that they are being a bit strategic now, before the pace really picks up? If not, you may want to start doing this now, rather than in mid-November.
This countdown toward the end of the year can also start to impact what happens at home. Here in Sydney, we are just out of lockdown and people are super excited to get out of their homes and go to restaurants and back to the shopping malls (sometimes to just get out of the house that we have been locked in!) Melbourne is not far behind, and they are also looking at opening up in the next couple of weeks after being recognised as the most locked down city in the world.
It makes me think what impact this is going to have on many people. As they get out and start enjoying the freedoms and the warm summer weather, what will happen to their productivity at work? With the high levels of burnout and fatigue that many people have been feeling, it will be even more important for leaders to ensure that their people are prepared to keep a steady pace toward the end of the year and not crash and burn beforehand. It will be even more important for people to keep up their exercise and eat healthy food to keep the energy up (just a reminder to you and me!)
If you are looking to provide something that will give your people a bit more support and bounce in their step, you may be interested in my How to Get Your Bounce Back: Building Resilience in Uncertain Times Online Keynote, please Click Here for a Free 10 minute Consultation to find out more.
