Ways to keep employees productive during the holidays

We’re in the middle of the holiday season, which in addition to being dubbed the most wonderful time of the year; it should also be called the most disrupting time of the year. Between worrying about gifts, attending holiday parties, in-laws visits, and vacation plans, it’s safe to say that the workforce is pretty distracted.

The reality is that even though your workers are still at the office, many of them might unofficially have checked out and begun their holiday hiatus. However, business doesn’t stop just because it’s the holidays, and work still needs to be done.

So, how do you keep your team focused during the holiday season without being known as the office Scrooge? Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Be a Good Example

Make sure you are meeting your own performance expectations. Remember, when people see you working hard and meeting your own expectations, they are more likely to use you as a role model. In other words, don’t spend your working hours shopping for gifts online, no matter how tempting it is!

Set Goals

Look at your goal setting and planning processes to see where you can stress the importance of achieving goals. Be sure your employees understand the goals that must be achieved before the end of the year. If there is pressing work or deadlines, make sure you communicate the appropriate sense of urgency. If everything is urgent, people can’t prioritize. If nothing is urgent, deadlines are often not achieved. Involve employees in setting the team’s goals and objectives; this can lead to a desire to exceed expectations.

Acknowledge Accomplishments

We’ve talked about it before, but a key way to engage employees with the company is to acknowledge their hard work. Recognize and reward employees for their contribution to the success of your team. Frequently offer genuine compliments to others regarding their effective job performance. Compliment coworkers on their success. Don’t forget about rewarding small achievements. Make it a priority to say positive things every day.

Be Flexible

What are the norms and expectations around work hours? If people are expected to work 50-80 hours per week, this is likely to have a negative impact on morale and retention, especially during the holiday season. This is where you need to be realistic - while there is work to be done, you can’t overburden your employees. After all, it is crucial to maintain work/life balance for yourself and your team members throughout the entire year.

You need to face the facts that the holidays will somewhat impact workplace productivity, but as long as you are flexible and communicate to your team the priorities of the company, you will still have a productive December without acting like a Scrooge.

Managers need to develop organizational sensitivity

Betsy dislikes her coworker, Jon.

One day in the office, Betsy whispers to another coworker that she thinks Jon is weird and standoffish.

Jon overhears the conversation and is surprised to find out Betsy feels that way about him. He doesn’t know how to react so he just stays silent.

However, he can’t shake off that comment and begins to feel uncomfortable at work. His productivity at the company starts to decline, even though he was typically a top performer.

Maryanne is Jon’s manager and she notices his work is slipping and he’s quieter than usual. She’s been meaning to talk with him about it, but been too busy to schedule a sit down talk with him. 

After feeling increasingly more dissatisfied at work, Jon starts sending out his resume to other companies. He eventually gets a job offer, and leaves the company.

Betsy is happy, but Maryanne is distraught, confused, and now has to go through the process to hire someone to replace him.

If Maryanne had taken the time to find out what was bugging John, she might have been able to keep a top performer.

Productivity suffers in workplaces characterized by criticism, gossip, and a lack of teamwork, according to a new Right Management poll of 1,404 HR professionals and senior business leaders.

The survey find that 61 percent of organizations suffer from negative behaviors that, in turn, makes employees struggle to focus on their work, with 36 percent saying negativity sometimes impacts productivity. Only 3 percent say their employees are staying positive and not affected by negativity.

If negativity catches hold in an organization, it can become contagious. This negativity emerges itself in sarcastic remarks, lack of productivity, and other behaviors. And it is hard to stay motivated in that kind of work environment. 

You don’t want this negativity to result in turnover, so it is crucial for managers to be aware of what is going on within their group or organization. Managers can’t afford to turn a blind eye toward internal politics and complex interpersonal issues. 

And while the reality is that not everyone will like one another, the manager needs to ensure that everyone at least respects one another and finds a way to work as a team.

This is why organizational sensitivity is a key managerial trait. Here are a few ways to develop it:

• When people seem to be experiencing low morale or having difficulty, talk with them to find out what is going on. Sometimes people will not want to say much, but they will appreciate that you noticed and showed concern.
• Identify and prioritize longstanding or unresolved conflicts within your team. Develop a strategy to address them. People may welcome the opportunity to talk openly about issues that have been simmering and will have excellent ideas for solving them.
• Notice if there are things in the work environment that you can change. Not all problems require financial or upper-management solutions; many can be resolved through addressing them creatively.
• Ask your employees what you can do to be a better leader or a better boss for them. Implement some of their recommendations to show that you take their input seriously.

What are your thoughts about this? How do you handle workplace gossip?