The holidays are a happy time of year, but it can also be stressful and chaotic for many businesses. Backup workloads, increased customer pressure, and a general sense of urgency can all weigh on leaders and employees alike, leading to reduced productivity and low team morale.
So if work starts to get too chaotic and overwhelm you, take this advice from the members of Council for Young Entrepreneurs. Below, they each share one tip they have to help restore order during the holiday chaos and get your team and your company back on track for the new year.
Members of the Young Entrepreneur Council share tips for curbing the holiday chaos at work.
Photos courtesy of individual members.
1. Try to work in sprints
I suggest avoiding chaos with one or two week sprints. For example, we meet every Monday morning to see what needs to be done that week. We put it all in a Kanban board and get to work on the sprint. One of the arguments against this approach is that it takes too much time to prepare, but part of keeping the meetings organized is to keep the meetings short and straight to the point, and we all know what to do and in which direction to go. going Another big advantage of this technique is that it stimulates us as a company and team to work more data-driven. We may ask, “What went well in the last sprint?” and “What can we do to make this sprint better?” It also helps us to detect any blockages. In the chaotic holiday season, we like to stick to our data-driven ways and keep our eyes on our goals. – Alex Circeic, waydev
2. Align with Your Goals
Chaos is the name of the game when running your own business. This means you have to be prepared at any time that something can happen. To be successful in hectic times, the key is to stay calm and align yourself with your goals and what the most important tasks for your business are at this exact moment. Then focus on tackling those issues first and worry about the rest later. Everything usually tends to fall into place eventually. By not losing focus and staying calm, you can navigate through those chaotic times like a pro. – Anna Anisin, DataScience.Salon
3. Share business successes with your team
One way to keep things organized during the holiday season is to share glimpses of company success with your team. This could be sharing customer success stories or stories about how goals were achieved. This can help align the team’s success with that of the company and remind them of what they’re working towards. When people feel motivated and invested in the success of the business, they are more likely to do their best work and be less stressed. This is an effective tactic to keep them from feeling overwhelmed by the holiday crowds and can help you effectively restore order during the holidays or any other time of year. – Pratik Chaskar, Spectra
4. Make use of task management tools
Task management makes or breaks a company’s organization. Fortunately, tools like ClickUp, Trello, and more can help you complete any task. Keep your team’s tasks in one place, organized by team function and with reasonable timelines. If you do good task management, you can stay ahead of the chaos by understanding all the work being done or yet to be done. Organization is the cure for chaos. – Andy Karuzac, NachoNacho
5. Make your agenda more visible
Consider placing a large paper calendar in a busy location for November and December. Of course, most out-of-office time slots, notifications, staff vacations, and more should be available online. In fact, an online calendar should be your primary source. However, we all know that when we take a quick look at online resources, we tend to look up our personal information. We can easily miss what’s going on with other staff. A large format paper calendar enhances what is available online, but also helps people understand a bigger vision. They quickly see who is and who is not available. They can see when projects are expected to be completed, the times of official company-wide paid days off, and more. It brings a different kind of clarity and serves to refresh the memory. – John Hall, Calendar
6. Train your team to time block
Time blocking is a proven method that helps you get more done without admitting burnout or exhaustion. It’s an effective time management strategy that facilitates scheduling and boosts productivity, but doesn’t compromise work-life balance. Time blocking also allows your team to complete assigned tasks within set deadlines. This minimizes the chance of chaos and helps you maintain order. – Stephanie Wells, Formidable shapes
7. Define a weekly or daily work plan
The holidays are often a busy, stressful time for many businesses, but the good news is that it doesn’t have to be. Restoring order in this chaotic time comes down to making a detailed weekly or day work plan. This plan should include specific tasks that must be completed in order to stay on track and meet the company’s sales goals for the holiday season. Having such a plan can help your teams stay focused and organized. It also makes it much easier to track and view your progress at any time. In this way, adjustments can be made before it is too late to ensure that goals are not only met, but exceeded. Perhaps the biggest factor in feeling overwhelmed by the holiday crowds is team member expectations. Defined plans calm the nerves so they can stay on track. – Richard Fong, Help for the disabled
8. Find a way to center yourself
I think solutions are very personal, so it’s about trying things, doing things something and observe what helps you. For me, stopping what I’m doing and eating is #1. Other than that, it’s walking or hiking, even if all I can do is walk through an office or take a walk outside. Try to take your calls while you walk. Lately I’ve been walking through the woods near my house and taking a cold dip in the river, drying myself off, meditating, and then going home. If that seems impossible, don’t be discouraged – I’ve had my business for eight to nine years and can finally get into a routine like this. It can be a gradual process. Just start somewhere. Just as your first dollar or first customer was a start, start figuring yourself out and determining what works for you. – Chris Harris, BridgeTech
9. Make time for fun
It is a pity if we have to work all holiday season to meet the demands of every day. Make time for parties and family for as many employees as possible and enjoy it yourself. It’s a time of year to slow down, reflect, and enjoy the company of people you love. Invite friends and family to the company party, book the team’s favorite location or order from their favorite restaurant. Don’t let this time of year just add to your stress; let it be the best it can be: a special season. – Tyler Bray, TK Trailer Parts
