4 Lessons to Avoid End-of-Year Project Drama

Ahh, fall. The changing of leaves, drinking of hot cider, debating over the color of Starbucks cups all signal the approaching holiday season. It's an exciting time for families but a potential source of stress for managers.

I've noticed that, at least on tech teams, there is a correlation between the proximity to a holiday and projects shipping on time. The closer to a holiday break, the more likely that a project is going to go off the rails.

To keep my stress levels to a minimum, I share with my bosses - on repeat – end-of-year lessons I’ve learned the hard way. The more they are reminded, the more it sinks in (manage up!).

Lesson 1) PTO usage increases during Thanksgiving and Christmas/winter break. Yes, this is obvious. But did you take that into consideration when making your roadmap? The last two weeks of the year are the biggest productivity drop-off for many organizations. With the right forecast, you can pick the projects that have a higher chance of reaching completion well before your team digs into their first round of turkey and stuffing.

Lesson 2) Thanksgiving and Christmas/winter break take place in the same quarter. Again, obvious. Despite every quarter having three months, the impact of the two arguably-largest holiday breaks falling in the same quarter will knock available hours down. Accept it. Embrace it. Communicate it repeatedly. This lesson alone has won more arguments on scheduling than I can count on my fingers. Seriously.

Lesson 3) Sick days and unexpected OOO notices will increase. Changing seasons cause chaos on sinuses. Holiday crowds lead to germs. Cold mornings cause car batteries to protest, icy roads are scary... Don't be frustrated by the constant change in plans. Use this time to encourage individuals to share their expertise with others. Shared knowledge grows and your ability to get last-minute coverage on critical applications increases. Win-win. 

Lesson 4) Celebrate your team. Honor big moments – I keep notes of milestones throughout the year to gush over later. Create a budget to do something together. If that isn’t possible, small gifts go a long way. Though no one may say it, most teammates will appreciate the gesture. And, while their output may technically drop over the last couple months of the year, they will come back to work feeling wanted, well-rested, and ready to make up whatever delays happened in the last of the year.