Before you know it, the month of December will be over, and we’ll be starting a New Year.

A challenge many leaders face this month is getting the most out of their employees during the inevitable seasonal slowdown. How do you keep people productive, creative, and engaged without coming across as the Grinch Boss who causes damage to short- and long-term morale?

Leadership Tip
During the holiday season, lead with strategies that maximize employee productivity, creativity, and engagement.

Here are a few suggestions to accomplish that without becoming the Grinch Boss:

Be Flexible – As an example, your team members’ families might be participating in holiday concerts or school activities they would like to attend. Or perhaps they have holiday shopping to get done. Figure out how you can flex normal working hours to accommodate their needs. Possibly provide a day or half day of work from home if you don’t already have a remote working policy. Being flexible can be a big morale-builder.

Create December Goals – Set several short-term goals that result in fun or friendly competition among coworkers. Consider creating cross-functional goals you typically don’t have—goals that nurture productivity, creativity, and encouragement.

Encourage Creativity – Have fun with contests, games, and quizzes that challenge your people to create. Offer them categories related to your business or industry, then encourage them to create something fun or intellectually challenging. Offer prizes for the most creative.

Encourage Community Engagement – Of course, host pot-luck luncheons, cooking challenges, and ugly sweater contests. Beyond that, encourage doing activities that benefit the community such as volunteering at local toy drives and food banks.

Express an Abundance of Gratitude – Frequently tell and show how much you appreciate your team. You can be spontaneous or methodical, but for sure, be genuine and sincere in your expression of gratitude.

Don’t limit yourself to what you can do to maximize employee productivity, creativity, and engagement—especially now. Make December 2023 more meaningful and memorable than any other shutdown month.

Not acting like the Grinch Boss will help your team enjoy the season, and everyone will roll into January with a positive outlook.