It is December. You and your team are tired, the pressure is finally easing, and a break is on the horizon.
Before you set your out-of-office and step into the festive season, there is a valuable window to pause, reflect, and reset. With just 30–60 minutes of intentional focus, you can close 2025 well and position your people and organisation for a more sustainable, strategic 2026.
This is not about writing a long list of vague resolutions. It is about three things:
Reflecting honestly on the year
Expressing genuine gratitude
Committing to a small number of clear people priorities for 2026
Reflecting on 2025 – what the year taught leaders
This year has stretched leaders in different ways: persistent uncertainty, evolving legislation, ongoing labour market pressures, and increasing expectations around wellbeing and flexibility.
Amid the operational noise, it is easy to rush past the lessons. A short, structured reflection now can create clarity you will rely on in February and beyond.
Consider these four questions as a leader:
Where did my decisions or behaviours make things harder than they needed to be?
This is not about blame; it is about recognising patterns. Perhaps you delayed difficult conversations, absorbed too much work yourself, or allowed unclear expectations to continue.What frustrated or fatigued my best people the most?
Was it workload, communication gaps, constant last-minute changes, or a lack of role clarity? Understanding this helps you target real improvements rather than surface fixes.Which team member grew the most – and what made that growth possible?
This reveals what you should do more of: better feedback, meaningful stretch opportunities, mentoring, or simply making time to listen.If I could resolve one people-related issue in 2026, what would have the biggest impact on performance and wellbeing?
When everything is a priority, nothing moves. One well-chosen focus can shift culture and outcomes across the business.
Write your answers down. They will become a practical reference point when the pace picks up again.
Why gratitude matters more than ever
The festive season is a natural time to say thank you. But generic “thanks team, great year” messages rarely change how people feel about their work or their employer.
Genuine, specific gratitude is:
A powerful cultural signal – it shows what you value and how you see people.
A retention lever – in a competitive labour market, feeling seen and appreciated is often what keeps good people where they are.
A protective factor for wellbeing – recognition helps counter the effects of sustained effort and stress.
Gratitude does not have to be expensive or elaborate to be effective. It does need to be intentional, personal, and aligned with your values.
Practical ways to say “thank you” well
Make it specific.
Instead of “thanks for your hard work this year”, try:
“Thank you for the way you handled the XYZ project under pressure. Your calm approach and clear communication made a noticeable difference to both clients and the team.”Recognise growth, not just results.
Acknowledge when someone has stepped up, developed new skills, or handled difficult situations differently than they might have in the past.Bring quieter contributors into the light.
Every business has people who keep things moving behind the scenes. Recognising them in front of the team reinforces that all contributions matter.
Thoughtful recognition at year-end can significantly influence how people feel about returning in January.
What leaders should leave behind in 2025
To start 2026 well, it helps to be clear about what you will not carry forward.
Common patterns we see leaders wanting to leave behind include:
Over-responsibility – trying to solve everything personally instead of building capability in others.
Purely reactive leadership – constantly firefighting instead of setting clear rhythm and direction.
Avoiding performance and behaviour issues – hoping things will improve on their own while impact grows.
Accepting chronic “busyness” as normal – relying on long hours and goodwill instead of addressing systemic issues.
You do not need to fix everything at once. Choosing consciously what you will no longer tolerate or repeat is a powerful step in itself.
What to take forward into 2026
In the same way, it is important to name what worked well in 2025 and should be carried forward.
That might include:
Clearer expectations and role definitions – which reduced confusion and rework.
Regular check-ins or toolbox talks – that improved communication and trust.
Simplified processes – that made work safer, more efficient, or more sustainable.
Deliberate support for leaders and supervisors – training, coaching, or practical tools that helped them handle people issues more confidently.
Protecting and repeating what worked is just as important as introducing new initiatives.
People priorities for 2026 – capability, culture, and compliance
Rather than setting a long list of initiatives, focus on three People Priorities for 2026. Any more than that and momentum quickly dissipates.
While each organisation is different, many SMEs are converging around the following themes:
Priority 1: Strengthen compliance and employment foundations
With ongoing industrial relations reform and continued focus on “closing loopholes”, organisations need to ensure their contracts, policies, classifications, and HR processes are current and defensible.
This may include:
Reviewing employment contracts and engagement models
Ensuring classifications, hours, and entitlements align with relevant awards or agreements
Clarifying policies around leave, conduct, and performance
Getting these foundations right reduces risk and supports fair, consistent decision-making.
Priority 2: Invest in capability – especially at leadership level
Leaders and supervisors are often promoted for technical skill, not people capability. Yet they are the ones who hold hard conversations, manage performance, and shape day-to-day culture.
In 2026, consider:
Targeted development for leaders and emerging leaders
Practical tools and coaching for handling complex people issues
Clear expectations about the leadership behaviours you expect
Stronger capability at this level has a direct impact on engagement, retention, and results.
Priority 3: Address the biggest cultural “drain”
Every workplace has at least one recurring issue that quietly undermines morale and performance. It might be:
Poor or inconsistent communication
Tolerance of inappropriate behaviour
“Always urgent” workloads that lead to burnout
A lack of follow-through on commitments
Naming and addressing your biggest cultural drain — even if it is uncomfortable — will often have more impact than launching multiple new initiatives.
A short reflection prompt for leaders
To bring this together, you might set aside an hour before your break and work through the following prompt:
What did 2025 teach me as a leader?
What am I grateful for in my team, specifically?
What will I leave behind in how we work together?
What three People Priorities will I commit to for 2026?
Capture your answers somewhere you will see them when you return in January. They can form the basis of early conversations with your leadership team or external HR partner.
Ending 2025 with intention
You have led through another complex year. Your people have also carried a significant load — operational, emotional, and everything in between.
Taking time now to:
reflect honestly,
express meaningful gratitude, and
commit to a small number of focused people priorities
This will help you start 2026 with clarity and purpose, rather than simply “picking up where you left off”.
Enjoy the break, rest well, and return ready to lead with intention.
