My daughter, Katy, had exactly one week left to finish her Junior year of high school. As you can well imagine, she was in a mad panic about how she was going to get everything done. She had 4 papers due that week, 6 tests, 2 group projects, teacher gifts, cheerleading obligations as the head cheerleader for next year, graduation gifts for her friends, and she promised to make cupcakes for her friend, Nick’s graduation party. For someone who is uber organized and always has a to-do list a mile long, this was still a ton of work to be done!
Completely overwhelmed with the amount of things to do, one night, she just completely lost it and started crying, worried that she wouldn’t get it all done in time. Once she got it out of her system, she rallied, and finished the work that she needed to get done.
So, what happens when this occurs to your staff at work? Here are some things that you can do to help your staff get through a stressful time of year, and/or a huge project that must be completed:
- In the moment, remind your staff that this short term, and it won’t last forever.
- Have very clear expectations about what needs to be accomplished.
- Help your staff prioritize their duties, so that they know how to get the work done.
- Make a plan to celebrate when this period is complete: have a party, give your people an extra day off or plan an outing of some kind.
- Encourage exercise, breaks and healthy eating.
- Have snacks. “We never meet unless we eat!” is a great mantra in general.
- Take a group walk over the lunch hour.
- And finally, show your gratitude for their dedication. Say thank you. Often.
Katy ended her school year with grace and style and outstanding grades. I couldn’t be more proud of her than I am right now. We all get overwhelmed. We can only hope to have as much grace as this beautiful teenager.