How to Prepare for the Deluge of Year-End Requests

My client Jacob sighed in exasperation as he told me about the year-end presentations he’d unexpectedly been asked to create for his company’s executive team. “Every year, it’s the same frantic scramble as December approaches,” he said. “It’s like everyone’s surprised that the year is almost gone.” The December deadline deluge involves last-minute, often complex requests that go beyond your day-to-day tasks. Requests can fall into areas such as: Budget updates Expense reporting Headcount reporting Salary and bonus discussions Sales cycle status updates Churn or customer retention reports Inventory and supply-chain assessments This syndrome can be especially prevalent at organizations with a culture of false urgency or when you have a leader who struggles with focus. While it’s easy to believe the old phrase that “poor planning on your part doesn’t constitute an emergency on my part,” the reality is that when that emergency is coming from your boss or senior leadership, it’s suddenly your emergency, too. How do you handle these last-minute requests as the year’s end grows closer? Here are strategies to mitigate the crunch. Anticipate and ask if you suspect a recurring request is heading your way. If you’ve noticed a pattern of year-end requests piling up in previous years, it’s time to take a proactive approach. Initiate conversations with your leaders about their needs. For example: “For the past three years I’ve been here, we’ve needed to provide a sales update and next-year projections by the end of November. I haven’t received that request formally yet; is it still on the plan for this year?” “Typically our performance reviews are due December 15, but I haven’t seen any of the usual tools shared yet. Who could I check with to confirm this year’s timing so my team is prepared?” While it’s frustrating, there could be an understandable reason behind a last-minute request. Research from Columbia Medical School suggests that our brains can forget what happened in the past in an effort to make room for the information we need each day. Plus, with increased turnover of recent years, your leaders or coworkers may not have been in their roles last year. So don’t wait for others to remember or to initiate requests you suspect may be coming. Anticipating and asking about possible requests isn’t being nosy; it’s being helpful. Commit to your PTO. One of the biggest challenges during year-end tasks is managing time off, especially when urgent requests pop up. According to a 2023 Pew research study, many Americans hesitate to take all their paid time off due to concerns about falling behind at work. To avoid giving up your well-deserved vacation days (and your overall well-being), confidently communicate your plans with your colleagues. For example: “Alex, I just wanted you to know that I’m out of the office and unplugged from December 18th through January 3rd. I won’t be tracking work emails or Slack during that time, so if there’s anything you’re going to need from me before the end of the year, I’ll need to know by December 1st to make sure it’s covered.” “Sondra, I’m out for two weeks in December, so let’s put a catch-up meeting on our calendars now for early January.” By communicating and committing to your own time off, you’re helping others plan ahead — and you’re serving as a good role model, too. Even if you’ve done the work to communicate your time off, others may try and push your vacation boundaries. For example, a boss or team member might and ask for “just one more thing,” and you might be tempted to help out. Instead, decide in advance how you’ll handle this situation — before anyone even asks. Being prepared with a simple answer like “That’s not going to be possible, so let’s talk about other solutions” can help you hold yourself accountable to the break you need. Besides, it’s great practice at the art of saying no — a skill we all need in our nonstop world of work. Clarify what you’re being asked to do. In his mind, the presentations my client Jacob was asked to make would require him to spend several evenings designing a fat deck of detailed PowerPoint slides. But as we began to talk through next steps, he realized he was jumping into action without clarifying the need. Most of us aren’t experts in the art of making requests. Jacob’s leaders were no exception. When he took a moment to clarify the scope of the request, Jacob uncovered that the need could be satisfied by sharing an existing report and scheduling a more planful, deep-dive overview of the full-year results in January. What would have been an after-hours slog turned into a simple, less-stressful solution. When you get a last-minute request, don’t hesitate to ask more questions to understand the problem your leaders want you to solve — and their reasons why it needs to be done now. Reprioritize your commitments. No matter how well you’ve planned your time, last-minute requests may still emerge. Take a hard look at your calendar now to create white space for what may pop up. Ask yourself: What work am I spending time on that’s no longer useful or relevant as the end of the year draws closer? What meetings are better rescheduled for January to hit reset and take advantage of full attendance and fresh energy? Which items on my to-do list have been lingering without making a significant impact? While you don’t want to build a habit of cancelling or rescheduling meetings, the end-of-year rush can justify an honest review of the commitments you’ve made. Look for ways to prevent next years’ scramble. Even if you can’t find any solutions to stop this year’s requests from coming your way, there’s still one action that’s completely in your control. Open up your calendar for next year. Add a reminder for early September to start a conversation with your leaders about what they may want to know or do before the year ends. The end of the year can be stressful enough without extra pressure that comes from last-minute requests due before New Year’s Eve. With the right mindset and tools, you can not only survive but thrive in the face of the December deadline deluge.

How to Prepare for the Deluge of Year-End Requests

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