Prepare Yourself for the Festive Season

As the festivities ramp up across the country, organisations are gearing up for Christmas. This period isn’t just about turkey, mince pies and spreading joy. If you’re involved with an association it’s a pivotal time for you to streamline administrative tasks, engage with your team, and foster a positive workplace atmosphere.

Strategic Planning

Meticulous planning is key over the festive period, especially with a Christmas shutdown for many organisations right around the corner. Take this time to reflect on the previous year’s strategies, identify any issues that may arise, and set achievable goals.

Start by making a calendar of administrative tasks you need to get done before the end of the year, focusing on dates critical to your organisation’s strategic plan. Take into account year-end financial tasks, as well as colleague’s annual leave, before taking the steps to ensure your processes align with the season’s demands.

Enhance Communications

Uphold communications not only with your members, but also with your colleagues. Keep all parties informed about any changes in schedules, of any holiday policies you may have, and office closures. Think about circulating an email to your members or mentioning this in the Christmas newsletter.

Engagement

Christmas offers a fantastic opportunity to engage with your members while they may be experiencing some down time in the office. Staying engaged over this time will help to foster a sense of community, give opportunity to reinforce its values and lay the groundwork for success in the new year.

Year-End Tasks

If you have time, revisit your financial processes. Take the time to review any relevant preparation for the new year. Ask yourself how long have you been using the same procedure, and if there’s any room for improvement – this could include anything from budget reviews to expense reports. More often that not, people find that once analysed, there’s always room for a process to be streamlined or simplified.

Reflection

Take time to reflect on your progress over the year. Celebrate your association’s growth and development and recognise areas for improvement. Take advantage of the wind-down to set next year’s goals and spread your gratitude and appreciation to those you work with. Most importantly, take time to relax to avoid burnout.

Let us know in the comments what you’re most looking forward to over the festive period.