CHAUDHRI: How to end 2024 on a high

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November is an underrated month – it is the last full month of the year you can work to make a difference to your personal and professional bottom line.

Before dreaming of the holidays and time away from work, both employers and employees would be well served by implementing any or all of the following tips.

To finish the year strong, employees can:

Revisit performance metrics: Did you set a work plan for the year or receive a performance review with recommendations for growth? Revisit those comments now and assess if you’ve hit the mark or have more work to do. Set a plan in motion to meet or exceed your performance expectations for this year.

Make a last big push for bonus and commissions: Employers often reward employees for performance all the way up to the end of the calendar year. Assess if you are already in bonus territory for the year and if there are further results you can secure by mid-December. Follow up on business leads, introduce yourself to potential partners and follow through on outstanding deliverables.

Check in with your manager: After doing some self-reflection on your own performance for the year, share your plan to finish the year strong with your manager. Ask for any recommendations to exceed expectations and meet compensation targets. Create a weekly list of projects to execute on until the end of the year.

Employers would set themselves up for success by doing the following:

Assess your onboarding and offboarding processes: If you are planning to hire key talent in 2025 or make employment changes, understanding your financial exposure is key. Create contracts to help add security to your bottom line and create a level of certainty for employees.

Book one-on-ones with your team: Often a role evolves based on the person filling it. Use one-on-one meetings this month to identify and discuss the strengths and talent your current team. This can help you to retool job descriptions (via collaboration) for 2025 and identify clear candidates for promotion and growth next year.

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Create your vision for next year and share it widely: If it is your goal to become a leader in your industry, triple the number of clients you serve, or expand your company globally, share the news with your team before the end of the year. When you let your employees in on the “why” there is a higher likelihood they want to join you for the ride.

These last few weeks of the year are a wonderful time to separate yourself or your business from the rest of the pack. Make November count.

Have a workplace question? Maybe I can help! Email me at sunira@worklylaw.com and your question may be featured I. A future column.

The content of this article is general information only and is not legal advice.