It’s the most stressful... whoops... wonderful time of the year.
If the holidays seem more hectic than happy, consider employing the following tips to help feel less frenzied – both at work and at home.
Hire help that you know
Remember the terrific college student who worked for you over the summer or an employee who recently retired? If you need to hire seasonal help, call up former employees and see if they would like to come back on a limited, part–time basis for the holiday season. This way you won't have to spend time finding and training new help.
Carefully plan deadlines
When planning upcoming projects with your clients, "negotiate deadlines... so they fall due in late January, rather than late December," suggests Janelle Barlow of TMI USA, a human resources consulting company. Will projects that you turn in during the holiday crunch time truly represent your best effort? If you're the boss, don't forget to be as flexible when you're handing out projects to your employees.
Shop by catalog or Internet... In less time than it takes to park at the mall, order gifts through easy, time–saving methods.
Get someone else to do it
Save time by outsourcing tedious holiday tasks. "Hire someone to plan your holiday party. Hire someone to decorate the office. Hire a gift service to send gifts to clients or key vendors. Have a mailing service do your company holiday cards," recommends Kathy Buckner, co–author of Beyond Juggling.
Work a few long days
"Ask about a temporary flexible schedule," recommends the article Holiday Survival Tips for Working Mothers. "If your employer allows flexible scheduling, use it. Work a couple of long days, and take off at week’s end for holiday preparations."
If you decide to ask your employer for a more flexible schedule, Maria Bailey, founder of Bluesuitmom.com stresses the importance of having a well–thought out plan that includes "how it's [flexing] going to work and how it's going to affect the people around [you]." Also arm yourself with your productivity record and history with the company to prove that you can handle all of your work while working shorter or unusual hours.
If you're the boss, do offer your employees the flexibility "to take time off for the holidays," advises Kurt Sandholtz, co–author of Beyond Juggling. "If you set a Scrooge–like expectation of heavy work and long hours for all employees, two things will most likely happen: 1) they'll show up, but be remarkably unproductive; and 2) they'll resent you and be less loyal."
Tom Stypulkoski of the Work/Life Initiatives organization seconds this opinion, saying "by management demonstrating a legitimate and ongoing concern for work/life balance, and by employees displaying a desire to ensure company objectives are met or exceeded, a substantive amount of workforce flexibility can be the end result — with both sides being the benefactor.
Cut back on email
"If you're used to checking email three times a day, try cutting back to once a day. Email volume is typically down during the holidays, and most people will understand if you don't get back to them in an instant," suggests Buckner.
Just be sure to turn on the out–of–office reply offered by many email programs. This function immediately sends a message back to the sender, saying the message has been received. Make sure the out–of–office reply lets people know when you'll respond to their message and offers another contact within the company, in case of an emergency.
Holiday cards
Judiciously review your office and personal holiday card lists. Are there colleagues, clients, or friends that could be removed? Bailey says if you haven't received a card in two years, you may safely remove that person or company from your holiday card list.
Attend no more than two parties per week between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.
Make office gifts simple
Dash into a local store or restaurant and purchase gift certificates for all of your employees or co–workers (even family and friends). Gift certificates will save you the time of picking out personal gifts for each person.
Avoid malls
"Shop by catalog or Internet," urges the article Holidays Survival Tips for Working Mothers. "In less time than it takes to park at the mall, order gifts through easy, time–saving methods."
Bake and freeze
Early in the holiday season (before your days become too frantic) bake all of your holiday treats and freeze them in small bundles. Pull them out as needed.
No time to or interest in baking? Call your local bakery and place all of your orders at one time. Order your Thanksgiving pies for one day, holiday cookies for another and New Year's Eve cheesecake for a third pickup time.
Parties
Combine holiday happenings with holiday chores. Imagine how quickly your office or house will be decorated if you invite family and friends over to help. Plus, you'll have thrown your obligatory holiday party.
Also carefully consider every party invitation that you receive. Bailey recommends attending no more than two parties per week between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.
Get your children involved
Encourage your children to help you accomplish holiday chores "because then you're not trying to keep your child occupied and complete your task, " explains Bailey.
Let your younger children hand you tape as you wrap gifts for grandparents, cousins, and friends. Let them place the stamps on your holiday cards. Have your older children pass hors d'oeuvres and help clean up after your holiday party. Children old enough to drive can deliver gifts to local family and friends. Given a list, they might even be able to do the shopping for your holiday meal.
