Project Managing Christmas

For most Project Mangers> the Christmas holiday period means an opportunity to take a few days well earned rest and time away from the project they’ve been so committed to. After all, there is little point with all but the most time sensitive> projects even contemplating trying to work between Christmas day and New Years day - with so many $1staff taking time off and suppliers shut until the New Year anyway. So just how should you set about $1Project Managing Christmas?

Get ready. #

The first thing to do is to make sure that the project is safely and securely closed> down well before the end of the working day on Christmas Eve, or the last working day before it. No one, including yourself, wants to be there working into the early hours of Christmas Eve evening just to make sure that everything is safe and secure>. Try and get the project to a point that at least by lunchtime on Christmas Eve everything could be left until the New Year without any worries. Then, unless you or the $1project’s client> really is the personification of $1Scrooge - everyone can relax over a pleasant lunch and, for once, $1leave work on time or perhaps a bit earlier.

A Christmas “thank you” to all. #

Whether you decide to buy Christmas gifts> for any of the staff who are particularly important to you is, of course, a personal matter. However, by organizing a Christmas or New Years treat> for everyone working on the project can be a great way to help build and cement the corps d’espirit within your team(s). Depending on the $1project and budget> simply getting in some bites to eat before Christmas could serve this purpose or, if more appropriate you could organize a formal and full-blown $1Christmas or New Years Eve party>. Exactly what you do is almost certainly not as important as showing the teams working on the project that you $1value what they are doing and in some small way are prepared to $1show your appreciation of them.