Understanding the Common Service Data Model (CSDM) in ServiceNow
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The stretch between Thanksgiving and the end of the year rarely feels like a normal work period.
Calendars thin out. Projects slow down. Key decision-makers take time off. At the same time, there is pressure to close the year well and avoid starting January already behind.
For small teams, this can create tension. Do you push forward and risk burnout, or ease off and worry about losing momentum?
The reality is that this season offers something most of the year does not: space. When used intentionally, it can help small teams reduce friction, regain clarity, and start the new year in a stronger position.
Here are a few ways to make that happen without pretending December operates like any other month.
Before jumping into plans or process improvements, it helps to acknowledge what your team is already experiencing.
The holidays often come with a strange mix of lighter workloads and heavier personal demands. End-of-year fatigue is real, even when calendars look open. According to the American Psychological Association, the holiday season can increase stress as people balance competing expectations at work and at home.
Leaders who recognize this tend to get better outcomes than those who ignore it.
Setting expectations early matters. Letting your team know that priorities may shift slightly, that progress matters more than perfection, and that people are trusted to manage their time creates clarity. That clarity allows teams to stay focused without feeling pushed.
For teams that support others, whether internal stakeholders or external clients, the holiday season often brings fewer meetings and longer response times. That breathing room is valuable.
This is a good moment to step back and ask a few simple questions.
What consistently slowed us down this year?
What work kept getting postponed because there was never enough time?
What do we want January to feel like that December does not?
You do not need a long roadmap. A short list of priorities and a shared understanding of what matters most is often more effective. Clear direction now reduces reactive work later.
Professional development is usually the first thing sacrificed when teams are busy. The holidays provide a rare opportunity to revisit it without adding pressure.
This does not have to mean formal training programs or heavy coursework. For small teams, learning works best when it is practical and immediately relevant.
That might look like sharing lessons learned from recent projects, walking through underused capabilities you already have, or setting aside time for peer-to-peer knowledge exchange.
Forbes has noted that slower business periods are well suited for strengthening skills that support future productivity rather than adding new responsibilities. The goal is not to change how your team works overnight. It is to remove small points of uncertainty that slow people down every day.
Some of the most valuable work during the holidays is the least visible.
This is the time to clean up the things that are always on the list but never urgent enough to address. Intake processes that have grown messy. Documentation that no longer reflects reality. Dashboards, backlogs, or shared drives that have accumulated clutter.
Small teams are especially prone to this kind of buildup. Things get added quickly and rarely removed.
Simplifying even one or two areas can make January feel noticeably smoother once volume and expectations return.
Flexible schedules during the holidays are no longer unusual. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has pointed to flexible work arrangements as a way to maintain productivity while respecting personal commitments during this time of year.
For small teams, flexibility works best when expectations are clear.
That means being explicit about what needs coverage, aligning on deadlines that actually make sense, and trusting people to manage their time. Flexibility helps prevent burnout. Clear expectations keep work moving. Both matter.
The holidays can be a good time to strengthen relationships, as long as the approach is thoughtful.
Rather than pushing new initiatives, consider a lighter touch. A short note thanking clients or partners for the work you did together this year. A brief recap of progress made. A message that keeps the relationship warm without asking for anything in return.
According to contributors from the Forbes Business Council, authentic end-of-year communication often builds more goodwill than transactional outreach. Appreciation and continuity tend to land better than urgency.
One of the biggest productivity drops happens after the holidays.
People return with full calendars, half-remembered decisions, and competing priorities. Without some structure, momentum is slow to return.
A small amount of planning now can help. Scheduling a short January reset to confirm priorities. Writing down decisions made in December so they are not lost. Identifying one or two early wins that help the team regain rhythm.
Forbes Tech Council has noted that structured re-entry points help teams regain focus faster than jumping straight back into full workloads.
As a simple gut check, consider whether you have:
Clarified top priorities for Q1
Identified at least one process to simplify
Created space for learning or reflection
Set clear expectations around availability
Planned a light but intentional January restart
You do not need to do everything. Even a few of these steps can change how the new year starts.
The holiday season does not need to be written off as unproductive. It also does not need to be treated like any other month.
For small teams, it can be a rare pause. A chance to reduce friction, restore energy, and move into the new year with more confidence and less noise.
Handled with intention, this time becomes less about squeezing in work and more about setting the stage for what comes next.
