Business Transformation: Is the Festive Period Perfect for Planning? Eman Al-Hillawi CEO of Entec Si One phenomenon that connects people across UK sectors is the dip in productivity as businesses prepare to enter the festive season. While most quieter business periods, such as the end of December, often mean higher numbers of employees taking annual leave, the festive period is the perfect time for businesses to start planning transformation projects, rather than downing tools altogether. There are many factors behind the psychological shift towards a productivity slump as the year comes to an end. One being the widespread notion of a new year signifying new opportunities and a renewed sense of enthusiasm and willingness to tackle new obstacles. This is especially true for those who work within businesses that typically slow down, or completely close, towards the end of December. Additionally, at the end of the year, there may not be much budget left to kickstart large-scale transformation projects, and therefore it could make more sense to plan projects when money is allocated again for the next financial year. However, businesses should consider reframing their decision to delay any form of planning or decision-making throughout December, as it may bring benefits that are simply not available at other times of the year. By using a quieter business period for planning, such as the festive period, decision-makers can take advantage of being able to delve into the detail of any planning transformation projects and prepare teams to hit the ground running in the new year. In fact, by preparing ahead of time, senior managers can utilise newly refreshed and invigorated employees (who are not likely to take further leaves of absences vision & strategy 46
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk3Mzkz