Let’s be honest: by the time November rolls around, most employees are running on caffeine, muscle memory, and the promise of a Christmas ham or pav. It’s totally normal. The year has been long, workloads have been full, and everyone is quietly counting down the days until they can switch off their alarms and forget what day it is.

But while the festive break is on the horizon, work is still happening. Projects still need to be wrapped up, clients still need support, and businesses still need to finish the year strong. So how do you keep your team motivated when their mental batteries are basically on 10% and screaming for a charger? So let’s talk about how leaders can boost end-of-year motivation and keep the team going.

1. Acknowledge the Elephant in the Room

People can tell when leaders are pretending everything is fine.

A simple “Hey, I know everyone’s tired - you’ve done an incredible job this year” can work wonders.

Don’t be afraid to let people know you understand and feel the same either. It validates people and reduces the pressure to pretend they’re superheroes.

2. Prioritise What Actually Matters

Now is not the time to introduce twelve new initiatives (or frankly, any new initiative!), restructure the world, or hold back-to-back planning sessions. Help your team focus on the things that genuinely need to be done before year-end. Everything else? Park it for January.

3. Build in Small Energy Boosters

Think morning teas, team walks, early finishes, themed dress days - small things that lift the vibe without feeling forced. People don’t need grand gestures; they need tiny moments that remind them they’re human. 

Small moments = big mood shifts.

A few strategically placed bowls of chocolates or upping the coffee provisions can also help. Come November I move all of my 1:1 meetings with the team to walking and talking ones, for that breath of fresh air (proving more difficult in this particularly rainy Melbourne November though!)

4. Encourage Real Breaks

Everyone’s tired, but some people are unreasonably tired because they haven’t had a proper break for months. Encourage them to take a day off if things allow, or to at least take a lunch break away from their screen and even go for a walk. It’s amazing what even 30 minutes of fresh air can do. It helps. Some people aren’t just tired - they’re exhausted because they haven’t taken a proper break in months.

5. Share the Load

If your team is drowning, help redistribute work.

Sometimes motivation isn’t the problem — capacity is. When people can see you’re actually trying to make their lives easier, their energy picks up. And if you can’t share the load, sit with your overwhelmed people and work through their to-do list, and help them prioritise the absolute end of year needs, and let them park some stuff. They will love you for it.

6. Celebrate the Wins - Big, Small, and Tiny

End of year is the perfect time to remind people of everything they've achieved.

Celebrate:

• Major milestones
• Quiet wins
• Tiny improvements
• Acts of teamwork
• Things people think “don’t matter” - because they do

This builds pride and gives people that little spark they need to push through the final stretch.

At the end of the day, employees generally aren’t lazy - they’re tired. And most of the time, they’re tired because they care. Acknowledging the fatigue and helping your team cruise, not crawl, into the festive break is one of the simplest, most powerful ways to build trust, connection, and loyalty.

If you need help, to help your team, then please reach out. We’re always here to help.