Your End-of-Year Message Likely Stinks

Nearly every one of the 17 million US workers in management roles is probably thinking about writing a note to their employees before the year ends. Unfortunately, many of them will miss the mark and fashion a note that’s tone-deaf or impersonal. It’s not how leaders want to end 2024, with trust at the workplace already on the wane. Korn Ferry’s experts highlight what to say—and not to say—in the boss’s traditional end-of-year note. Plus, we look at the hidden risks of having an office full of “workhorses.”

1) The Last, Toughest 2024 Goal: The End-of-Year Note

Leaders certainly have their plates full in December. They need to motivate their teams to hit their goals over the few remaining workdays. Many must finalize their 2025 budgets and goals. In many cases, however, the most daunting task might be something that seems far simpler on its face: sharing an end-of-year message with their employees.

In years past, banging out a few words to employees before the holidays was fairly risk free. But in recent years, too many such messages have been tone-deaf, experts say, and easy clickbait for social media. The stakes are particularly high for this particular batch of end-of-year messages, experts say. Trust at the workplace, while still higher than that of many other institutions, is waning.

Read the full article here.

2) Office Workhorses: Will They Be Needed?

More and more people see themselves as the “office workhorse”—a person who takes on extra work for collective, but not individual, benefit. Just over 60% of employees in a new survey describe themselves this way, saying they perform between three and six (or more) additional duties outside of their defined role. To be sure, firms have long relied on the extra efforts of a minority of high-performing individuals to create value. Think of the colleagues who always seem to volunteer to lend a hand, or the ones who perform the invisible little tasks that hold a team together.

But some experts say that while office workhorses are indispensable, they’re also a risk. And according to the survey, these workers may start heading for the exits—if they aren’t already. Even if psychological theory says people benefit from helping others, more than half of office workhorses, feeling their contributions are undervalued, are burned out, while one-third are considering leaving their jobs.

Read the full article here.

3) 5 Ways to Win the Holidays at Work

Last year, 10% of non-retail workers ended up working on Christmas Day, and 44% logged hours over the holidays, according to data from CalendarLabs—many due to heavy workloads or conflicts with coworkers’ schedules. Don’t expect less work in 2024. After two relatively quiet years, most companies expect a return to the hectic period that usually occurs right before the end-of-year holidays. Expect managers to be asking you to do as much as possible.

To improve your chances of having a relaxing few days off at the end of the year—and of looking good in front of the boss—experts recommend taking a few steps.

Read the full article here.

Other Must-Reads from Korn Ferry

• End-of-Year Raises: 5 Ways to Start the Process - With inflation up 15% since 2021, many employees are looking for raises—a process that should start now.
• The Fear of Becoming Unemployable - Long before the job market weakened, firms were quietly cutting back on a slew of white-collar roles. That’s creating a harsh reality for a wide range of talented workers.
• In Search of ‘Psychological Richness’ - Some challenges are far from burdensome. They’re desirable, says best-selling author Dan Goleman.

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