The summer is winding down, employees are returning from vacation, and the fall season is right around the corner. For many, it's an exciting transition - trading t-shirts for sweaters, anticipating all pumpkin spice everything, getting ready for the holidays. While the excitement for the end of the year grows, unfortunately, so can the stress employees feel as they try to reach their year-end goals. As an employer, it's important to keep your employees on track with their goals and help them utilize the last few months of the year as efficiently as possible. Read on for tips on how to prepare your team for Q4 success.
Revisit 2018 goals
It's a good idea to bring your team together and revisit the goals you've set together at the beginning of the year. Can you check some of those goals off the list? Are you behind on finalizing certain projects? With only a few months left in the year, it's best to take inventory now before it's too late. Doing so will allow you to organize what has to be done the last quarter of the year, or re-strategize if needed.
Provide the right tools and support
To ensure your employees are as prepared as possible to hit their year-end goals, provide them with the support and tools they need to succeed. Accomplishing these goals are your employees' priorities as well as yours, and they're likely just as eager to work hard to make it happen. It's up to you to provide everything they need, from tech upgrades to moral support, to ensure that their hard work pays off.
Account for the holidays
With the holidays come inevitable requests for vacation. It's wonderful to see the joy the holidays bring out in your employees as they plan vacations to the snow or trips home to see family, but it can be a real detriment to your goals if you haven't properly planned for them. Instead of being blindsided by a week or two where you're severely short staffed - organize employee schedules as early as you can, and ensure they give you everything you need before they take off. This can be done by communicating early and often with your team about their schedules, ensuring that they submit their time off requests as soon as possible to help you plan for the year's end.
Celebrate and reward
To ease the stress and tension that can come with the end of the year, be sure you're letting your employees know how much you appreciate the work they're doing. Celebrating and rewarding their efforts will ensure their happiness, and encourage them to keep on track and hit their goals. Celebrating these accomplishments can rang from small to large - whether it's a a pat on the back and a "job well done" or an end of the year bonus or holiday party.
How do you prepare your employees for the end of the year? Share your thoughts with us on our Facebook page!
