How do you keep up team productivity during the holiday season?

The holiday season is here. Once the calendar reads December you can feel the seasonal spirit rippling through the office. Whether it is the faint hint of holidays tunes or the office Christmas tree finally going up, the office mood seems to shift as the holidays approach.

While this is certainly a time for fun and celebration, there is still work to be done. As a leader, you need to find the balance between holiday cheer and business productivity. Luckily, you don’t have to be a complete Grinch – there are some ways to ensure that business is still running smoothly while managing to have a little fun.

As a holiday gift to you, we have created a list of some tips and tricks for encouraging productivity during the holiday season. Let’s get started.

With the holidays just around the corner, it can be difficult to keep up productivity levels.

Be open to flexibility

It’s no secret that the holidays are a hectic time. From vacations to holiday parties to family visits, there is a lot going on. That’s why leaders should be a little more open to flexible work schedules during this time. Whether this means work from home privileges or more customisable work hours, let your team know that during the holiday month that these things are available as long as their work gets done.

Learn from the past

As a leader, it’s your job to understand trends in productivity levels. If there is a drop in your office during the holiday season, take a closer look at why that has been the case in the past. Are your team members taking longer lunch breaks during this month? Are there more sick days in December than other months? Take these things into account and address them either by strategically shuffling work around so there is less to be dealt with in December or by creating company policies that address the slip-ups.

Purchase some fun gifts and prizes and hold office wide competitions for hitting targets.

Lay out some holiday incentives

Nothing sets people into drive quite like a little friendly competition. Use the holiday season as an inspiration. Buy some gift cards to some local stores or cafes. Offer these up as prizes for teams who meet their targets early. These don’t need to be huge gifts, even a box of chocolates will do – just making it a game can encourage people to get their work done a bit earlier.

As a leader you need to find a careful balance in your office during this season. Make the time for some office fun but maintain your commitment to excellence. To learn more about how to manage your team effectively, check out ICML leadership and management courses.