Kate Clark, a Director at MartinJenkins, has some advice on how to get more bang out of your December. She has practical tips for looking back on the last year’s wins and planning and prioritising for 2026, so that your team is ready to kick off the next year with energy and momentum.
As the year winds down, it’s easy to get swept up in the rush to wrap things up or drift into holiday mode. But there’s a smarter way to use this time – one that sets your team up for clarity, momentum, and impact in the new year. It starts with strategy.
Not the dusty kind that lives in a drawer. I’m talking about strategy as a living tool – a direction-setter, a prioritisation guide, and a team glue. Done well, it’s both the anchor that keeps your team steady and the compass that points you toward what matters most.
Start with a retrospective
Before you leap into planning, take a moment to look back. An end-of-year retrospective is a powerful way to celebrate the wins, reflect on what worked well, and acknowledge what didn’t. It’s not just about patting yourselves on the back – although you should definitely do that – it’s about learning, together.
When teams take time to reflect, they often uncover insights that would otherwise be missed. What helped us succeed this year? What slowed us down? What surprised us? These conversations build shared understanding and spark ideas for how to leap forward in the new year. They also create space for appreciation, which is often overlooked but deeply motivating.
Why now is the time
Doing this work in December has a quiet magic to it. The pace might slow just enough to allow reflection, and people are naturally thinking about what’s next. It’s a chance to pause, take stock, and reset before the new year hits full speed.
If December’s too packed, early January works too – but the key is not to wait too long. The longer you delay, the more time you lose to distraction, drift, and reactive work.
Make it a team thing – and make it fun
Strategy isn’t something leaders should do in isolation. Involving your team in the process brings fresh thinking, builds ownership, and helps everyone feel connected to the direction you’re heading. It’s also a great way to surface what’s working, what’s not, and what’s possible.
And here’s the twist: make it fun! This doesn’t have to be a dry planning session. Think creative workshops, shared meals, or off-site days. The more engaging the experience, the more energised your team will be to carry the strategy forward.
Check that it’s still fit for purpose
Before you start prioritising, ask: is our strategy still fit for purpose? Has anything shifted internally or externally that means we need to tweak our direction? Strategy should be a living guide, not a static document. It needs to evolve with your context, your team, and your goals.
Use strategy to prioritise, not just plan
Once your strategy is clear, use it to decide what gets your attention. When new work comes in, ask: “Does this fit with our strategy?” That simple question can help you say yes, no, or not yet – with confidence. It also makes conversations with stakeholders easier. Everyone knows what to expect and why.
Taking time to do this kind of strategic reset brings real benefits. You get clearer priorities, better alignment, increased motivation, and stronger decision making.
The risks of skipping it are real: misaligned efforts, wasted time, disengagement, and missed opportunities. Without a shared strategy, teams can feel scattered, reactive, and unsure of their purpose.
Five actions to end the year strong and start the next even stronger
- Host a retrospective session – Celebrate the wins of 2025. Reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Capture lessons and insights as a team.
- Review and refresh your strategy – Check if your current strategy still fits. Update it to reflect new realities, priorities, and opportunities.
- Run a prioritisation workshop – Use your refreshed strategy to decide what matters most. Park the distractions. Focus your energy.
- Co-create the plan with your team – Involve your people. Let them shape the direction. Shared strategy leads to shared momentum.
- Make it memorable – Don’t just plan: celebrate. Make the session energising, creative, and fun. Set the tone for 2026.
Before the calendar flips …
Strategy isn’t just a document, it’s the thing that helps your team weather the storm and chase new opportunities. So before the calendar flips, carve out the space to review and refresh your strategy and plan with your team.
Make it collaborative, make it energising, and make it count. Your future self – and your team – will thank you.
