{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"How to Keep Employees Motivated Before Christmas","description":"How do you prevent the pre Christmas slump? People are often de-motivated or distracted with xmas December is the shortest working month there\u2019s the pressure to get things done before the  \u2018big break\u2019 If your people are already feeling isolated and disconnected how will that impact them when they\u2019ve got the business shut down or time off over Christmas and new year. With the lack of connection, xmas parties and the stressful times - how do we keep engagement and motivation high? This week on the podcast I dive into how we can How to Keep Employees Motivated before Christmas Although some of your staff may be winding down, others will be working frantically to make sure everything gets done before the break, dealing with a remarkable amount of pressure \u2013 no doubt not helped by their more relaxed colleagues. It might sometimes seem as though pressure is actually making people more productive as holidays approach. Isn\u2019t this a good thing \u2013 you might ask? Well, maybe not. They may be productive, but they may not necessarily be happy.   And if they\u2019re not happy \u2013 what will they do?  Lose motivation.  Become unhappy, even look to leave \u2013 yes even with unemployment high that won\u2019t stop them applying for other jobs. I spoke to one company who had 3 resignations just last week. An essential first step to ensuring your people remain motivated is understanding the pressures they\u2019re facing \u2013 there\u2019s more to holiday mode than you might think, particularly in December. Staff aren\u2019t just distracted by the fun of the festive season or rushing to get work done \u2013 there is a variety of anxieties and worries that can take hold at work all year round, but become increasingly pressing as the year comes to an end.   Employees are More Stressed in the run up to Christmas Research finds that the Christmas period is often the most stressful for employees, and one survey in 2016 by Sodexo found that 23% of UK employees feel more stressed in the run up to Christmas. Think about why that stress and pressure is there \u2026 December is shortest working month so there is a pressure to get things done before the big break \u2013 there\u2019s this enormous \u201cfinish\u201d for Christmas and finish for the year, not to mention end of the quarter \/ end of year. Then personally for them, there\u2019s financial worries and pressure to be \u2018the best\u2019 Christmas and get all the gifts and things.  All this can mean they\u2019re losing sleep, coming to work tired and perhaps distracted,  this leads to presenteeism or absence. All this has been around for employees every year in December, but after the year we\u2019ve had this could be exacerbated by the worries and stress and pressure of distanced Christmas and who can go where in what Tier.   Consider The Impact of Winter Wellbeing on Motivation On top of that, we can consider winter wellbeing and their physical health or ill health \u2013 with coughs, colds, flu \u2013 it\u2019s talked about all the time during this pandemic \u2013 the affects of winter on health. Illness caused by winter weather is a cause of workplace stress for 16% of UK employees according to the Office for National Statistics most recent report into sickness absence at work; coughs, colds and flu account for 26.2% of the 130 million-plus working days lost to illness each year \u2013 and these illnesses are particularly common in the winter. Christmas Can Demotivate Employees Research has found that almost half of the UK\u2019s workers will go into work despite feeling unwell. An ill worker is definitely not a motivated worker and there\u2019s a huge risk of illness spreading to others, knocking even more employees out of action for a few days. A YouGov survey found that 21% of people (that\u2019s one in five) dislike Christmas, while research elsewhere found that 54% of employees dread the office party.  Imagine what people will feel like with a pressure to join in the so-called fun activities. How do we Keep Employees Motivated before Christmas? Celebrating Success We\u2019re a nation brought up on being polite, don\u2019t boast, be nice the other person, so when it comes to celebrating success it can feel a little boastful and big headed \u2013 but it\u2019s important to ensure that achievements are recognised otherwise people become disengaged and unmotivated. You can celebrate success and create a positive working environment by: Continually praising and congratulating individuals during virtual team meetings Internally publicising good work, for example, on the intranet Sending a card or gift in the post \u2013 even if it\u2019s a thank you note for a great piece of work, or finishing a project or delivering .. whatever. Remember that fun is meant to be spontaneous, so yes you can plan some events and situations, but you can make people enjoy it. Remember the stats about the xmas party.  If you are going to celebrate anything other than success, ask them what they\u2019d like.  I know you won\u2019t get a fully consensus \u2013 gosh I remember trying organise xmas parties and events and it was never easy \u2013 but do ask people. Even if people seem shy or bashful or even embarrassed, they will still get a hit of the reward chemicals that make them feel good about their achievements. Offer Opportunities for Professional Development There\u2019s nothing worse than trying to do a job without the right skills or equipment.  Sometimes those skills might be personal skills or knowledge skills and if that\u2019s the case then your employees will likely feel overwhelmed, stressed or undervalued.  That will definitely lead to motivation issues.  Employers can fight against both these problems by ensuring that staff benefit from training and know-how If you\u2019ve already done great onboarding and induction plans (because that\u2019s definitely the place to start) then you can: Arrange remote training sessions to be given by senior staff or external providers \u2013 ask me about my training. Ask team members to give a short session on a subject of relevance, for example, an industry update or a recent issue which they resolved Provide mentors to junior staff It is important that employers engender a team spirit and encourage their employees to build positive relationships with each other. Although it is no longer possible for employers to host away-days or in-person events, employers can ensure their employees are happy Enable Autonomy It is important that employers give some autonomy to the employees.  Letting them have a sense of control over what they do and when they do it empowers them and motivates them to do the job.  It shows that you trust them to deliver.  Obviously if there\u2019s been some micro-managing then that will need working on but they\u2019re going to be more motivated and respond far better if you let do the job they need to do without breathing down their necks. There\u2019s nothing more than anyone wants right now than a sense of feeling in control.  This virus has taken the element of control away from all us, so giving a choice, control and a certain level of autonomy is a definite sure fire way to increase motivation. Recognise Mental Wellbeing Employers should recognise that the shift to home working has been, and continues to be, a stressful experience for many. Lack of room at home, children interrupting Zoom calls, dogs barking over conference calls, whatever the reason, life at the moment can be hard. Employers need to make sure that they: Ask staff what is going well, what is not and what they are struggling with.  That gives you a clear starting point for helping them in the right place to improve mental wellbeing and motivation. Remind staff of any external resources which are available to them \u2013 many places are offering \u2018drop in\u2019 styles coaching sessions that are available ad-hoc and often with me \/ external providers \u2013 so talk to me if you want help with that. Be flexible, to the extent that business needs allow, and understanding of individuals\u2019 personal circumstances   Wellbeing Check In and Surveys I keep saying this. Do a survey, formally or informally.  To check in on them \u2013 although get the timing right.  A well set out survey with good questions can provide you with a wealth of information. Ask on team calls \/ meetings how they are.  How they really are and if people are quiet, flippant, I\u2019m fine, then call separately to check up on them. Not everything will go perfectly. Some people will be critical. Solicit and welcome feedback. A critical component to engagement is employees feeling that they are heard. Soliciting feedback demonstrates your willingness to listen. Also, let employees know how you acted on their suggestions.   To finish up: Remember that the dictionary defines motivation as a reason to act in a particular way. It is a desire to accomplish something.  One of the most important functions of management is to create willingness amongst the employees to perform in the best of their abilities.   It\u2019s the little things that count. Let your staff know they are valued through simple gestures such as saying thank you or through small gestures such as buying some Christmas treats for the office.  Consider granting flexible working if people want time off for school events and other things.   Please do make sure you hit \u2018subscribe\u2019 so that don\u2019t miss an episode.     If you haven\u2019t yet  left a review, please do go and find the little button to leave a review and let me know your thoughts, key take-aways and what you value from the podcast.   Join my corporate leadership and wellbeing newsletter HERE   If you want to be increasing your performance so that you\u2019re more resilient in these current times, so that you can focus easily, use tools and techniques to deal with all the current and unknown challenges then make sure that you either drop me an email to emma@emmalangton.com .   Or head over to my website  and either send me a email from there or book an appointment straight into my diary \u2013 saving all that to-ing and fro-ing that you get when we try to get space in people\u2019s diary. ","author_name":"Lessons for Leaders","author_url":"http:\/\/www.emmalangton.com\/","html":"