At the beginning of the year—with the holiday season behind us and New Year’s resolutions to uphold—we all tend to be pretty gung-ho, pretty enthusiastic about getting a strong start. Starting strong is one thing, though; finishing strong is something else altogether. After the summer doldrums, many teams struggle to regain their focus for the year’s end—but there are things that you can do as a leader to get them pumped up for a great final quarter.
Let me show you some examples.
Motivating Your Team for the End of the Year
Set a goal. It’s so obvious that some leaders skip over it altogether—but if you want your team to come together in the back stretch of the year, give them a sense of common purpose—a goal to achieve before New Year’s Eve.
Determine priorities. You’re probably familiar with the oft-cited distinction between things that are urgent, things that are important, and things that are neither. As you look toward the last few months of the year, have a clear sense of what needs to be accomplished now and what can wait until after the holidays.
Get the team together. Hold an end-of-summer/start-of-fall huddle where you and your team members get together to discuss strategy and to plan for the next few months. Get your whole team involved in the brainstorming process, and lead with some specific steps and objectives for everyone to work toward.
Create seasonal teams or job responsibilities. As you consider the things that need to be done between now and the end of the year, assign special responsibilities to team members, and assemble groups to tackle projects together. Do what you can to give ownership and to foster collaboration.
End your year on a high note; use these tips to help orient your team in the right direction.