How to Maximize Your Year End

In the United States, we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving, begun putting up holiday decorations, and started (or finished!) our holiday shopping. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? ??

Around this time of the year, people in many organizations begin to “ramp down” and coast until the year ends. Employees are squeezing in unused vacation time and many of us are simply tired after moving at such a rapid pace in 2022, adjusting to the hybrid workplace.

On the other hand, proactive leaders are reviewing their accomplishments thus far for 2022 and thinking about where their organization’s focus should be in 2023. They are not “calling it” for the year yet.

Whether you are a nonprofit CEO, a leader within a corporate organization, or a small business owner, now is the time to determine what can still be accomplished in the coming weeks, reflect on the progress of the past year, and prepare for a strong and focused Q1.

This article is the first in a series of articles and is focused on determining what can be achieved before the year’s end. Stay tuned for the next two articles in this series which will be focused on 2022 reflections and preparing for 2023.

So you may be wondering…what CAN we actually get done before the year ends?

Let me remind you: the end of November does not mark the end of the year. We have almost 3 weeks before Hanukkah begins and almost 4 weeks before Christmas.

Here are a few considerations as you try to maximize your year end:

• If you have a current strategic plan, take a look at your current year (or current quarter’s) objectives and initiatives. Are you on your way to meeting your Q4 (or end of year) objectives? If not, are there any activities you can do to help you get closer to reaching them?

• Even if you don’t have a formal strategic plan, your organization has likely crafted goals for the year or even the quarter. Take a look at your Q4 goals. Are there any projects or tasks that you can knock off your list? Perhaps things that you’ve pushed to the “back of the line” for more urgent projects?

• In addition to taking care of tasks or small projects that have fallen by the wayside in 2022, now is a great time to begin preparing for the new year. If you already have a defined multi-year strategic plan, begin thinking about next year. What can you (and your team) do to get a head start on next year (or the next quarter)? Are there planning discussions you can have with key members of your team?

• Teams often spend the end of the year celebrating. In addition to celebrating the holidays, take time to celebrate your team’s accomplishments as well. Were there any big projects that were completed this year? Were there any specific milestone moments for the team? In a recent article, I wrote about the benefits of showing gratitude to your colleagues and teams. End of year is a great time to show appreciation for individual team members and your team as a whole.

• Do you (or your team) need to just slow down and take a moment? It’s one thing to begin to coast after Thanksgiving simply because you're on autopilot. It’s another thing to be intentional about taking the time away from back-to-back video calls and endless meetings. If you feel like you are experiencing burnout as a leader, determine what you need to do during this time so that you can be your best self for your team and your organization in the new year. If you feel your team members are showing signs of burnout, have a conversation with them about what they need to refresh and get ready for a new year with energy and enthusiasm.

• Finally, end of year is a great time to reflect on the year behind us. Stay tuned for the next article that will include a great list of questions for personal reflections and for your organization.

What are you or your team trying to get done before the end of the year? I’d love to hear! Please share in the comments below.

If this article was helpful and you’d like further assistance from me, here are a couple of ways I can help:

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