Warm Wishes & Workday Wins

Warm Wishes & Workday Wins 

 Your December guide to keeping the team connected. 

December has a way of magnifying everything. The pace picks up, the calendar fills with potlucks, school events, year-end deadlines, and holiday plans and many of us are trying to finish strong at work while also being present for the people we love. 

In HR, we talk a lot about engagement, but during this season it becomes even more real. Engagement is not a buzzword; it’s the everyday experience of coming to work and feeling: 

• “I matter here.” 

• “My work has purpose.” 

• “My voice is heard.” 
• “I can be human, even in a busy season, and still be valued.” 

That’s what we’re building together, not just in December, but all year long. 

Engagement doesn’t live in a policy manual. It lives in small moments: a thank-you after you stay late to help, a supervisor who checks in when you look tired, a teammate who covers for you so you can make it to a child’s Christmas program. Those little things add up, especially this time of year. 

This month’s newsletter is meant to be a quick, real-world guide to staying connected, to your work, your team, and yourself, as we close out the year. 

What Engagement Really Looks Like Day-to-Day 

We often think of engagement as a big initiative, but most of it comes down to quiet habits. Here are a few ways engagement shows up in everyday work life (even between holiday parties and year-end reports): 

Clarity Over Guesswork 

People can’t feel engaged if they’re constantly guessing, especially when December already feels chaotic. 

• You know what success looks like in your role. 

• You understand priorities, what truly must get done before year-end and what can wait. 
• You know who to go to when you’re stuck. 

When expectations are clear, people can relax and focus. If you’re ever unsure, please speak up. Asking, “Can we clarify what’s most important for this week?” is not a burden, it’s responsible and healthy. 

Feedback That Builds, Not Breaks 

Feedback shouldn’t feel like a surprise attack. It should feel like support: 

• “Here’s what you’re doing well.” 

• “Here’s where you’re ready to grow.” 
• “Here’s how I’ll help you get there.” 

If something doesn’t land well, it’s okay to say, “I want to understand this better, can we walk through an example?” Feedback is a two-way conversation, not a one-way verdict. 

Recognition That’s Real 

The holidays are full of “thank you” cards and gifts, but at work, recognition needs to be specific and sincere. 

It can be: 

• A targeted thank-you: “Your attention to detail on that project saved us from a major issue.” 

• A quick shout-out in a meeting. 
• A simple message: “I saw how you handled that situation, well done.” 

If you lead people, challenge yourself to recognize at least one person per day through the end of the year. If you’re an individual contributor, you can do this too, peer recognition is powerful and free. 

Psychological Safety: Being Able to Be Honest 

Engagement requires safety: the sense that you can ask questions, admit mistakes, and share ideas without being punished or shamed. 

Safety sounds like: 

• “Thank you for bringing that up.” 

• “Let’s learn from this, not blame.” 
• “I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out.” 

If you’ve ever held back from speaking up because you didn’t want to “cause trouble,” you’re not alone. But your perspective matters. The workplace is healthier when we tell the truth kindly and listen with curiosity, not defensiveness, especially during the stressful holiday season. 

Simple Ways You Can Boost Engagement This Month 

No matter what your role is, you have influence. Here are a few small, practical ideas for December: 

• Ask one deeper question. 

• Instead of “How are you?” try “What’s one thing you’re proud of from this year at work?” 

• Close the loop. 

• If someone asks a question and you don’t know the answer, circle back, even if the answer is, “We’re still working on it.” Silence erodes trust; follow-up builds it. 

• Share a year-end win. 
• Send a quick message or share at a meeting: “A win from this year for our team was…” 

Wins remind us that our effort is adding up. 

For Leaders: Tiny Habits That Build Trust 

Leaders don’t engage people with speeches; they do it with patterns, especially when everyone is juggling work and holiday life. 

Here are a few trust-building habits you can start (or recommit to) as the year wraps up: 

• Before diving into year-end metrics and to-do lists, ask: 
• “How are you holding up this week, really?” You don’t have to solve everything. Sometimes people just need to be heard. A 60-second human moment changes the tone of the whole conversation.
   

• When changes happen at the end of the year (schedules, priorities, processes), people are more engaged when they understand the reason. 
• Instead of: “We’re changing this process. Please adjust.” 

• Try: “We’re changing this process because [reason]. Here’s how it helps the team, and here’s what I expect from you.” 
• Clarity plus context equals less resistance and more buy-in.
   

• People don’t expect their leaders to be perfect. They do expect: 

• Consistent follow-through 

• Fairness across the team 

• Owning mistakes when they happen 

• A simple phrase that goes a long way is: “You’re right, I could have handled that better. Here’s how I want to approach it going forward.” That kind of honesty builds engagement faster than pretending you never slip, holiday stress and all. 

Well-Being & Boundaries: Engagement Starts With Energy 

You cannot have an engaged workforce if everyone is exhausted, checked out, or running on fumes. 

During December, this matters even more. 

Healthy engagement includes: 

• Reasonable Boundaries: It’s okay to say, “I don’t have capacity for that this week. Can we talk about timing or priorities?” 

• Breaks Without Guilt: Stepping away for 5–10 minutes to reset actually improves focus and quality of work. 
• Asking for Help Early: Engagement doesn’t mean saying “yes” to everything. It means caring enough to speak up before things fall apart. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, the most “engaged” thing you can do might be to raise your hand and say, “I need some help and clarity.” That’s not weakness, that’s responsibility. 

December Engagement Challenge 

 Here’s a simple challenge you can try between now and year-end. Pick one: 

• Recognition Challenge: Each workday in December, genuinely recognize one person, by name, for something specific they did. 

• Clarity Check: Ask your manager or team: “What are the top three priorities we need to focus on before the end of the year?” 

• Share your own list back and make sure it matches. 

• Connection Moment: Take a few extra minutes to check in with a coworker you don’t normally talk too much. 

• Ask what they’re most proud of this year or what helps them feel supported at work. 

Small actions create a different kind of workplace over time, one where people don’t just show up, they care. 

Engagement isn’t something HR “does” to people. It’s something we create together, through honesty, respect, curiosity, and follow-through. An extra thank you to my clients for the work you’ve done this year and the way you’ve shown up for each other. 

If you’re ready to lean into engagement but don’t want to do it alone, The People Playbook has you covered with simple, practical resources. Or, if you prefer a conversation, we can walk through your options side by side. Just reach out and tell us what we can help carry.

-Elizabeth