With a month until the end of the year, as a leader, you probably think everything that needed to be done is likely already done. And, since we're near the end, there's no more time to reverse any complex situation or mistake that occurred along the way and couldn't be fixed. But, is there really nothing that can be done?
It's normal to feel tired, because around this time of year we just want it to be over so we can start fresh, like turning a new page. But it's not as simple as it seems, especially when there are processes already underway that need to be concluded before you can move on to others.
The truth is, the moment we believe we can't do anything more, we become stagnant and push some issues into next year, which isn't good. If you don't solve that problem today, it will be like a ghost; it won't magically disappear next year. Worse, it might have grown even larger and its solution become even more difficult.
You might be thinking, how do I address this? OKRs – Objectives and Key Results – can be helpful, as one of their premises is to bring the team together to work collaboratively, which will likely lead to a better solution. The manager can sit down with their team members and start breaking down the problem into smaller parts, creating a list of pain points and then defining their priority level.
Building on that, everyone can consider what can still be resolved this year, preventing too many problems from carrying over to 2025. This tool helps bring clarity and focus, guiding the selection of what to address first and how adjustments can be made. In an OKR-based management system, these adjustments can be made continually based on results, allowing for quicker course corrections.
However, it is very important to remember that it is not feasible to address everything in the final 45 minutes of the second half. For it to work, the team needs to be properly sized to address what can be fixed now, and create a Backlog Regarding the other requests that will take longer or aren't worth addressing now, it's pointless to panic and try to tackle everything. Trying to do too much now will just create twice the work and the need to redo things later. It will ultimately be worse and more problematic.
For this reason, it's essential that the manager utilize the available tools and count on the support of their collaborators, so that they can close 2024 with a positive balance and few outstanding issues. There's still time to save the year; you just need to better organize yourself, setting long-, medium-, and especially short-term goals, never forgetting to work for results. This makes all the difference!
