What leaders should focus on after the summer break

A lot is going on in September and in the upcoming months of Q4. On the one hand, planning for the next year is already starting, on the other hand the “old year” should be closed soon – that means a lot of meetings, conversations and hectic. Also, private life can be quite busy in the last months of the year. School and kindergarten are starting again, soon Christmas is right around the corner, family get-togethers have to be planned and so on and so forth  – there’s almost no downtime in the fourth quarter of the year.

So, how do you keep your employees motivated during this time of the year? I thought about it and in my opinion these 3 things are very important: 

1. Awareness

Awareness is always important, but especially in the last quarter of the year. Make sure to be aware that your employees may go through stressful times. Also consider that their private life may is pretty hectic. Show understanding and interest of what is going on in their lives, and make clear, that it is not always necessary to give 150% at work. There are times when it makes sense to reduce speed and slow down a bit. Give them the space to do so – it will be worth it, and in the best case you’ll be rewarded with more motivated employees.

2. Focus

What is happening in autumn? Correct: usually a lot of new projects are starting, everything that was neglected in summer has to be finished now. Anyway, it is just not possible to do everything at the same time. Plus: when employees are overwhelmed, they tend to get unmotivated. That’s why it is very important that you as a leader talk about priorities and expectations. Which campaigns are most important in Q4, which project have to still be finished this year, what need most attention? Schedule a regular meeting with your employees and set priorities. 

3. Appreciation 

Appreciation is always an important topic. But the end of the year is the perfect time to show appreciation. Even though times look stressful, you should take some time now tell your employees that you appreciate them and their efforts. This could for example be done in feedback talks. It is also an important time to remind your employees of any exciting or motivating company events coming up. For example, you may start planning the office Christmas party, or you may have an awards ceremony coming up in the autumn. Now is the time to let them know that returning from their holidays isn’t the end of their excitement for the year.