Keep up the Christmas spirits

By MARIE WILSON

Q: Several questions for you about work and Christmas. Why is the end-of-year run-up to Christmas such a grind? And why do I get the feeling I'm going to ruminate on my career over Christmas and find my job wanting, and then come back to work grumpy?

As soon as we hit December everyone in my team started slacking off and getting a bit irritable, and I am risking sounding like a nag trying to jolly/cajole them. I thought the "do" we have arranged for the week before Christmas would give them a bit of extra fizz, but not so far.

A: The period before the summer holidays can be tremendously stressful.

We are rushing to get all kinds of things done at work before the break, and we have an extra social dimension to cope with, with parties for friends and clients, which adds to the burden. And we're supposed to act really happy about it, as well.

This is the time of year when everything changes, work is out (although responsibilities often carry on), the kids are out of school, families may be visiting or we may be travelling to see them.

These, as well as special meals and gift-giving, can impose substantial financial burdens. And all of your summer activities are being arranged at just the time when you have to hurry and finish lots of work projects that can't wait until mid-January.

To cap it off, you may be doing all of this in an office, when the weather outside is starting to suggest that maybe inside isn't where you want to be.

So, how to keep spirits up? A few tips and tricks, but you can also tap into the creativity of those around you who may have ideas that will really fit your workplace.

Get everyone to make a list of everything (including home stuff) that has to be done before the holidays.

Have a group meeting when everyone distributes and talks through the lists, gets suggestions on how to do things more efficiently and gets challenged on whether they have to be done right now.

If you have flexi-time or glide-time in your office, you may suggest that people set aside some time to knock out their personal business - maybe a morning or afternoon each week - and then have a long day at some point in the week (one very long day is usually more productive than lots of slightly longer days) to push through all those nagging must-be-dones.

Instead of a gala Christmas blow-out, discuss small ways to keep spirits up, from power-walking around the block, to bring-a-plate morning teas and shared lunches - maybe a picnic in a nearby park.

And the manager isn't in charge of this - get your staff in the mood by getting them involved and active in a series of activities that take into account the specific issues and needs of the staff you work with, and the culture of your workplace.

You might also invest some time in a welcome-back party rather than putting everything into a big Christmas send-off.

* Dr Marie Wilson is associate professor of management at the University of Auckland, research director of the ICEHOUSE business accelerator and a veteran of 20 years in corporate management and small business.

Send your questions to: julie_middleton@nzherald.co.nz