The December Drift
It’s easy to blame Christmas for a lack of focus in December. People are winding down, office parties are ramping up, and talk of holidays takes priority over team goals. And, last-minute shopping lists often overshadow task lists.
But in reality, the focus has probably been slipping for a while. November tends to be slightly less focused than October, and October a little less focused than September. This loss of focus is not so much a loss of energy but rather a diffusion of it.
This diffusion is difficult to control. Even if a team starts the year sharp and focused – shifting priorities, changing expectations, competing demands and turnover within teams, means that the collective energy begins to spread. Even if each disruption is small, the cumulative impact over a year can be significant and by the time we get to December the level of misalignment often means crossed-purposes and counter-productive behaviours.
Let’s be honest, the idea of ‘finishing strong’ and trying to push through on a big project rarely leads to meaningful outcomes. It just results in burnt-out employees and a bunch of rework to be done in the new year. But, instead of resisting the natural energy cycles people experience, why not work with them?
What if we spent part of December reflecting on the year, recognising contributions, and refocusing our efforts for the future? By doing so we give people permission to take a well earned break, and done well, we can also leave them excited by the year to come.
There is some compelling research that shows making time for reflection is also positively correlated with individual and team performance. Researchers at George Washington University found taking time to reflect on surprises (the things you weren’t expecting), failures (the things that didn’t go how you planned) and frustrations (the things others don’t see the same way that you do) were important in helping people learn and grow. Helping them be better next year than they were this year.
While individuals can reflect daily or weekly, it’s more challenging for teams. But taking the time, even once a year, to reflect on your collective surprises, failures and frustrations is an important part of collective growth.
Oh, and in case you missed it…
Last week, I had the pleasure of being interviewed about my new workshop, ‘The Power of Being Strategic’, by the productivity, facilitation and workshop design guru that is Donna McGeorge. We delved into the workshop’s purpose, the thinking behind it, and the design decisions that shaped it. You can watch a preview of the interview above, and if you’d like to dive deeper, the full 30-minute interview is available below.
Simon
