Managing the End of December Deluge

As we all know, the run-up to Christmas can be a busy time. Despite being the season of peace and goodwill, for many in law firms across the country and in other parts of the world that celebrate, it can be a rush to complete everything before the festive day.  

As such, people can face vast lists of tasks to complete –often drowning in work when they should be getting ready to relax. So, how can you get ahead of a potential rush in work? Here are some simple tips that you can employ to try and get ahead of the rush, and enjoy this festive season to the fullest.  

The first significant thing you can do is anticipate recurring requests coming your way. If something you know you are asked to do at this time every year might be coming down the line, get ahead of the request and ask about it. Often, requests come at the last minute because our brains can forget what happened in the past to make room for new information or new people come into management roles. As such, asking early means not only do you get ahead, but also the people making the requests can do so as well. Another critical step is ensuring you understand the scope of your involvement in these last-minute tasks. A lack of clarification may lead you to spend more time on a project than you need to and overthink the hurdles and challenges. Understanding what is required from you will help you avoid overcomplicating the task and will help save you valuable time.  

It will also help to ensure you keep some time free for those emergency requests that will pop up at the last minute. Prioritising tasks is key; establish what needs to be completed now and begin with those, leaving the non-urgent tasks until last. The final thing is to commit to your annual leave. Don’t let yourself get caught up in something you can’t complete before you go away, and then spend your hard-earned time trying to catch up on things you had promised to do before you go away. Ensure you clearly communicate when you will be off, what you can do before you leave, and even express your boundaries. That way, you and your team will be clear not to overstep them, and work can be shared between available team members, not those who are enjoying time off. Saying no can be so important, and this time of year is a perfect chance to get used to doing it.  

Ensuring you can enjoy your time off is essential so you can recharge your batteries and return well-rested and ready to hit the ground running after your well-earned break. These simple steps can be an excellent way to ensure you can do that. Of course, if there isn’t enough time to implement this year, you’ve always got next year! Setting yourself a little reminder next September or October will help you take these tips and prepare for the rush. Even trying to implement these tips will help you prepare for this special season and not leave yourself with a huge workload.