The December round up
Season's greetings, reflections and recommendations
Merry Christmas
Thank you so much for subscribing to my newsletter this year. I really enjoy sending these out, so it’s always lovely to know there are people out there reading them.
As always, December’s email is a little different. I’m sharing some reflections and recommendations for you to look at over the seasonal break.
(Of course, if you choose not to and choose to focus instead on eggnog and tinsel than that is completely valid too!)
"One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done."
Marie Curie
I am not a fan of end of year reviews. For me, December is not a month in which you can slow down and take stock. There is far too much going on, both in and out of work, as everyone hurtles toward the Christmas finish line.
However. If you can spare five minutes, consider writing a list of everything you have achieved this year. No criteria, no categorisation, no value judgements. Just write that “Done” list and put it in a drawer.
When you come back in January it will be there waiting for you to remind you of what you’ve managed to do already, before you start thinking about what’s next.
You can then sit with it and reflect on what went well, and why, and what you’d like to do more of, or do differently. Or you can pat yourself on the back and move on. It’s your choice.
Reflection…
Wintering by Katherine May always gets mentioned a lot on social media in December, so I thought it was about time I read it.
And it’s lovely.
The thought that stayed with me was this:
We are deeply ingrained in thinking of life as a linear progression. We go from this, to this, to that - all in service of getting to a particular destination.
Lots of wise people will tell you that it is the journey that matters, not the destination. But maybe, more fundamentally, we’re wrong about the direction.
Nature is cyclical. It has periods of abundance followed by periods of retreat and regrowth. And so do human lives.
Nothing is forever, it’s all part of a cycle.
If we were able to think of our lives as cyclical too, it could fundamentally change our concepts of progress and achievement. We could be kinder to ourselves in those times when everything is not in bloom. And we could have more faith that spring always comes around again.
Recommendations…
Books
Switch - How to Change when Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath
Marketing people here will probably be familiar with Made to Stick, but this is an equally readable look at change - something we’ve all had a lot of in recent years.
Curious- The desire to know and why your future depends on it by Ian Leslie
I very much enjoyed Ian Leslie’s book on disagreeing productively, so went back to his earlier work. This one looks at how we learn and discover, and why it’s so important that we do.
Podcasts
Nudge is a ostensibly a marketing podcast, but the insights it shares have many applications. The focus is on human behaviour, which I find endlessly interesting.
Carla Miller is well known in the coaching world for her focus on supporting female leaders - her Influence and Impact podcast is packed with useful insights.
And for all aspects of work and leadership, the Working It podcast from the Financial Times is full of actionable ideas. Plus, episodes are usually about 15 minutes long which is always a bonus for me!
Newsletters
My number one newsletter is Make Work Better from Bruce Daisley. It has all the latest research and insights on workplace culture and how we bring more joy to work.
This email tends to focus on what we do as individuals to build culture, communicate well, build positive relationships and cope with change. If you’re interested in my take on these topics at a more organsiational / strategic level, you might like my other, monthly, newsletter on LinkedIn.
My Christmas Gift to You
25% OFF ONLINE TRAINING COURSES
I have online courses now available:
Lead and develop your team
Tackling tough conversations
Persuasion and negotiation
Each is about 1 hour long, broken-down into digestable, ten minute sections.
I'm offering you a £10 discount on all courses between now and the end of March 2025. Just use the code TAKE10 at checkout.
Finally, can you help me out?
I rely upon word of mouth and recommendations for all of my work. So if you find this email useful, please share it and encourage others to sign up!
Thanks so much for all your support this year. I hope you have a wonderful, relaxed holiday season and 2025 brings you joy.