Tips for Completing Projects During End of Year & Holidays

Category: Company

Samantha Whitmore
Sales & Services Director

We all know the saying “There’s no I in TEAM”. As the end of the year and holiday season quickly approach, many become stressed their projects won’t complete on time. Many companies are looking to complete projects by end of year for many reasons; budget, staffing, new initiative, application upgrades, or simply a project planned during this time. While this is a stressful time, it is a time to look for opportunity. When teams become overwhelmed they look to their leader to help ease their concerns.

When you are the leader there are many steps you can take to ensure your team feels confident and knows what is outstanding. As the world has become a darker place; as leaders, the positivity needs to stay intact. Some team members may be juggling more than just one project, or more than one job. It is easy to become less positive, but that will not get you anywhere except increasing frustration. Find the positivity in each situation, even if it’s getting through a minute that proved everyone is on the same page; THAT’S GREAT!

Another way to keep projects moving forward is project organization. I know that I ensure that my team members know who they can go to with a problem. Communication is the key. Appoint certain team members as Subject Matter Experts, should their qualifications match. Make sure your team is providing status updates. This leads into communication which is a HUGE factor. Many fear communication for many reasons, which is okay. It is the job of the leader to instill there are no “dumb” questions and their door is ALWAYS open. Promote communication in a positive manner and providing support for the team. Increased communication will assist in planning and close the areas of concerns. You’ll find when you increase your communication, you’ll find out where the gaps are, staffing issues, vendor issues, or what is working well!

Always try to remember everyone wants the same goal, complete the project within the timeline and budget. Support each other in every way you can. The small things add up to GREAT accomplishments. You never know what will come out of each project. You may find an area for increased efficiency or a subject matter expert you never knew was there. Rely on each other, as my team does, celebrate the wins, and remember YOU’RE ON THE SAME TEAM! As the holidays quickly approach, we all want to celebrate without the weight of the world on our shoulders.