Wow – can you believe we are in the final month of 2021? What a strange and disjointed this year has been. Riding on the coattails of 2020’s lockdowns, we are still very much feeling the effects that covid-19 has brought. Only now are we truly seeing economic and social impacts that will be with us for many years to come. 

Well, that’s enough of that doom and gloom, sorry Fans of Plans. Normal service will now resume with the season of goodwill upon us, let’s look to see how we can work well to be a productive and positive influence on the world we live in. 

Your employees and team members have had a full on year. As I mentioned at the start of this blog, they’ve probably had a turbulent year with feelings of uncertainty and we have seen more wellbeing issues in the general working population. Particularly mental wellbeing has been a challenge for many. 

As it’s the end of the year, it is an ideal time to show how much your employees’ and colleagues’ continuing support has meant not only to the organisation, but to those around them. Here are some ideas you could take up to help them feel appreciated and continue their commitment to your organisation:

Communication round-up of all the things your teams have achieved in 2021

Pulling together all the great images and stories of achievements from the last twelve months can really help to cement just how far your organisation has come. Think about including:

-        Awards teams and individuals have won

-        Charity events that you have supported

-        Case studies of specific projects that have gone well

If you keep a folder of all of these throughout the year as and when they come up, then this montage will be quick and easy to pull together at the end of the year.  All you need to do is think about the format that your employees will be able to access this in. Do you have a year round-up newsletter it can go in? Could you put together all the images into one short video? Whichever style best suits your organisation, think about how it can be accessible to all. 

Thank you messages from your senior leaders

Some managers and senior leaders are very good at this; others may need a prompt to do this. A message to all staff from the Managing Director is a great start, but a more personal thank you to each area of the business, team or even to individuals can go a long way to feeling the goodwill. Everyone wants to feel appreciated for what they do, so encourage your leaders to do this. 

Gift to all employees to show a token of appreciation 

If you do have room in your budget for a token of appreciation for staff for all they have done throughout the year, then go for it! But remember a few key things; you will always have someone wanting to look the gift horse in the mouth. So try to: 

-        Make the gift relevant to your business. Many businesses are trying to be more eco-friendly, so choose a product that reflects this. 

-        Make sure the gift will be appreciated by the recipient. If you are buying the same gift for all staff, make sure it is an inclusive as possible. Not everyone drinks alcohol and there are many food allergies of diet preferences. 

-        Make sure that the cost of the gift isn’t going to be questioned. It’s been a tough year and many organisations may not have been able to give employees the pay increase they would like. So if your gift is too generous, this will be questioned. Equally, if it is too miserly, you’ll be your organisation’s Ebenezer Scrooge. It’s a tough tightrope to tread.    

-        Give the gift of giving. Why not gift your employees a day to be able to volunteers locally, or maybe even the gift of a wellbeing day to take in 2022? 

However you choose to celebrate the achievements within your organisation, make sure that it is genuine and comes from a place of sincerity.

P.s.: If you want some other free tips for your personal life, check out the Self Series blog – out fortnightly on Tuesdays, courtesy of Make Me A Plan’s Wellbeing Expert, Lauren Willoughby. Browse the latest edition here: https://www.makemeaplan.com/news/