It happens at the end of every year … employees get lost in the holiday hype and start to check out of work. People get tired, they lose focus, and productivity dips.
But once the ball drops and the new year has arrived, our mindsets begin to shift. People come back to work with a clean slate, feeling refreshed, and seeing potential in the future. But it doesn’t stop there; it must be nurtured.
If you want to make 2023 a year to be proud of, leaders must motivate their teams to finish the year strong. Here’s 6 tips to set your team up for success:
1. Lead by example
As a boss, you can refocus and recharge your team simply by modeling the right behavior.
Pitching in and helping employees with their workloads matters. Roll up your sleeves and support your team, whether that means packing orders, writing copy, or pulling a report.
2. Be present
Don’t let a new year narrative create stress at work. Successful leaders have the emotional intelligence and the ability to regulate their behavior towards their team and attitude about the workload.
How you choose to show up can either motivate or miff your team. When leaders are visible and engaged, employees are inspired to be the same. So stay present, be positive, take time to connect.
3. praise the past years accomplishments
Take time to reflect. Write down the things your team did well this year. Highlight team effort and individual results during a team meeting or team dinner.
Recognition is often more valuable than money. People want to know they did a good job!
4. SET realistic goals FOR THE FUTURE
Help your team reconnect with the passion and purpose behind their work. Make sure they feel invested and involved in the future of your team and company. Be intentional about the impact your team wants to make. While also being realistic when setting goals by understanding what your team can and cannot do. Stay close and help them prioritize. Rather than expecting them to deliver a long list of tasks, focus on the most important projects or impactful projects, and lead them to do it really, really well. Remind employees of how their work uniquely contributes to the success of their team and mission of the company.
5. Work-life balance
Leaders set the tone for work-life balance. Support employee wellbeing by respecting time off. Give your team a mental health break—don’t email, text, slack, or call on their days off.
When people can truly unplug, they return to the office more energized and eager to connect.
6. show appreciation with a gift
If you have the budget for it, buy your team members a small gift. From our experience, it is more about the gesture and thought than it is about the amount. This token of acknowledgement goes a long way.
