The holiday season is a wonderful time for joy, celebration, and well-deserved breaks. For project managers, however, it can also feel like navigating a minefield of reduced capacity, extended deadlines, and unexpected absences. As an expert project manager, I’ve learned a few strategies to not just survive, but thrive, during this potentially challenging period.
The biggest hurdle? A significant portion of your team taking much-needed time off. Here’s how to manage your projects effectively when the office starts to look like a ghost town.
1. Plan, Plan, Plan – And Then Plan Some More (Early!)
This is the golden rule for holiday project management. Don’t wait until December to figure out your strategy. As soon as holiday schedules start to solidify (often as early as October or November), get proactive:
- Gather Leave Schedules: Work with HR or team leads to get a clear picture of who will be out and when. Create a visual representation – a shared calendar or Gantt chart – that highlights team availability.
- Prioritize Ruthlessly: Not everything can or should move forward at full speed. Identify critical path items that absolutely must progress and differentiate them from tasks that can be deferred or deprioritized.
- Identify “Single Points of Failure”: Which tasks or deliverables rely solely on one person who will be out? These are your biggest risks and need immediate attention.
2. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate (Proactively!)
Reduced staffing makes clear communication even more vital. Don’t leave anyone guessing.
- Set Realistic Expectations: Communicate clearly to stakeholders and clients that progress might slow down during specific holiday weeks. Be transparent about reduced capacity and revised timelines. It’s better to under-promise and over-deliver.
- Pre-empt Hand-offs: For team members going on leave, ensure all critical tasks have been properly handed off before they depart. This means:
- Documenting current status, next steps, and any outstanding questions.
- Introducing the covering team member to relevant stakeholders.
- Making sure the covering person has all necessary access and context.
- Establish “Emergency Contacts”: For critical roles, ensure there’s a clear understanding of who to contact in a genuine emergency, even if the primary person is on leave. Respect their time off, but have a fallback.
3. Embrace Flexibility and Adaptability
The holidays are not the time for rigid adherence to your initial project plan. Be prepared to pivot.
- Buffer Time is Your Best Friend: Add extra buffer time to all holiday-period tasks and milestones. Things will take longer than usual.
- Re-evaluate Dependencies: With people out, some dependencies might shift or break. Regularly review your project plan for any new bottlenecks caused by absences.
- Leverage Off-Peak Times: If you have global teams, consider if any tasks can be advanced by team members in different time zones who may not be observing the same holidays.
4. Empower Your Team (Even the Skeletal Crew)
When teams are leaner, empower those who are in the office to make decisions and keep things moving.
- Delegate Authority (Within Limits): For routine decisions, give clear guidelines and empower covering team members or those still in the office to make choices without constant escalation.
- Maintain Morale: The people holding down the fort during the holidays often feel the extra pressure. Acknowledge their efforts, provide support, and ensure they don’t get burnt out. A small token of appreciation can go a long way.
5. Post-Holiday Re-integration
The project management doesn’t stop once the new year rolls around.
- Scheduled Catch-ups: Plan specific catch-up meetings for returning team members to get back up to speed quickly.
- Review and Adjust: Assess how your holiday plan performed. What went well? What could be improved next year? Use these lessons learned to refine your strategy for future holiday periods.
The holiday season doesn’t have to derail your projects. With proactive planning, clear communication, a flexible mindset, and a focus on empowering your team, you can ensure your projects continue to move forward, even when many are enjoying their well-deserved downtime.
