‘Tis the holidays…just in time for year-end deadlines, year-end reviews, year-end raises, year-end career everything…As if the stress of the holidays, late shopping trips, extra food, time off and family obligations…Phew!
How do you manage to stay productive during the holidays, when family, personal and work stress pile up? How do you handle work and personal demands, all the while keeping your career on track and maintaining a sense of festivity, without working yourself to the ground? Not to mention all the talk about using the holidays to boost your career, how to career plan during the holidays, and so on and so forth…
My $0.05: The hardest and best lesson I’ve learned over time is to manage expectations during the holidays. At a time when everyone in the office needs to take time off, when deadlines are squeezed in-between days off and celebrations, it is crucial to the keep the communication lines open with managers and co-workers. What is expected to be done before leaving for the holidays? How much work at home versus work in the office? What is urgent and what can wait? Once expectations are clearly set, it is much easier to navigate the holidays, schedule time off, and enjoy it…
What do you think? How do you handle year-end deadlines and enjoy the holidays?
The Corporate Sis.