Taking the angst out of year-end can be a challenge (5-ways-to-make-year-end-less-stressful), but what about those new-year items that inevitably clog your radar? We’ve put together some tips to help with those, too.
1 – Tie up loose ends. Now is the time to be sure you don’t have any year-end tasks lagging behind. Submit the last of your team’s performance evaluation paperwork, process any remaining invoices, and finish setting up files for this year’s approved projects.
2 – Prioritize. Your new year’s budget may include a lot of good news—approved new hires, authorization for updated software, the go-ahead on key projects, or confirmation of an upcoming expansion—but you still need to be careful with your resources. Determine which initiatives should be tackled first, and delegate those out to the appropriate people. Assign target dates to remaining items so they don’t drop off the radar.
3 – Announce staffing changes. Information on promotions, transfers, reorganizations, and the loss of any temporary workers in your department should be disseminated throughout your Project Team. It makes it easier for staff members to do everything from exercising increased signature authority to redistributing tasks.
4 – Plan early for training opportunities. Team members with new responsibilities, such as first-time managers, will benefit from getting some education under their belt early in the year. Look for training sessions that outline fundamental principles, so they can feel confident in their abilities and experience less stress going forward.
5 – Bring stakeholders up to speed. End users and project supporters may be unaware of the final status of proposed initiatives. Instead of fielding hordes of phone calls all asking the same questions, take the time to proactively notify stakeholders about the approval status of projects and when they can expect to learn more about those activities that have received authorization to move forward.
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