Go with the flow

Lots of happy hours! No, seriously, I allow very flexible hours. We work round the clock during Q4 to deliver translated benefits booklets, etc. to our broker clients on time and sometimes the deadlines are ungodly. If my team needs to sleep late and/or work from home, I have no problem whatsoever with that. I am very lucky to have excellent people, and I have no doubt that they will exceed our clients' expectations, so I am happy to be flexible about their hours, especially during this season when we are drinking from a proverbial fire hose.

Melissa Burkhart, founder and president, Futuro Solido USA

Planning, scheduling and chocolate

The motivation is not the hard part; it's the focus on priorities and managing the pipeline. I do a daily check-in with the team with a rundown of tasks at hand. I plan out my day/week according to priorities and schedule my work in 30-minute blocks so that I can stay on task. I schedule in breaks, too, like a walk around the block. I encourage staff to do the same. We use Salesforce to keep us on track and manage workflow.

Also chocolate helps–the kind wrapped in foil with the little motivational sayings inside! Don't worry; if you have to unwrap a lot of chocolate to find the perfect saying, it's worth it!

Barb Schlaefer, owner and president, C Rose Associates

Stay fueled

I bring in food for fourth quarter. Fruit, sandwich stuff, etc. And caffeine. Lots of caffeine. I also supply lots of paper plates and cups, because there's no time for dishwashing. There's lots of asking, “Is everyone OK? Need any help?” And lots of water, with port-a-potties in their offices. (OK, JK.) If they stay late, we bring in more food. We get additional help as needed. And we have “free days to cuss” a little if it helps. Lots of grace is given. I may need it the most. I have been known to say “fudge” once or twice…

Tanya Boyd, president, Tanya Boyd & Associates

Close the inbox

While time management and planning your day and week are always a priority, I make it my first morning priority in Q4. If I don't and I open my email first, well, the inbox tidal wave can steal my whole day by allowing other people's requests to take precedence over my priorities for the day.

Dr. Josh Luke, CEO, Health-Wealth

Celebratory Fridays

Our team realizes how important it is to keep the energy high during the fourth quarter. From enrollment meetings throughout the week to long days working to deliver another successful renewal, we found a way put smiles on our faces at the end of the week. Our benefits analyst, Amanda Johnson came to the team and presented the great idea of weekly celebrations over lunch on Fridays.

We are having fun showing our team spirit with our community events and individuality with a couple of cooking contests. When you spend this much time away from your family, having fun during the most time-consuming quarter of the year is important to us. During these events, the entire team has more time to build closer relationships and are often guaranteed a few great laughs.

A few events:

• Support the Home Team! • Chili Contest • Food Bank Donation Week • Pumpkin Decorating Contest • National Deviled Egg Day • Big Deal Birthdays! • Holiday events

Robson Baker, employee benefits and HR advisor, Clarus Benefits Group

Bonus Time

One thing we did this year is book our first out-of-state company retreat for the end of February, when everyone gets the blahs. We have always tried to do a fun quarterly thing, but this year, I wanted to do something different.

We also do quarterly bonuses and that keeps everyone motivated. Third quarter bonuses come out the end of October and that helps keep people going and also gives them a little extra Christmas money.

Another thing we always for Thanksgiving is close the Wednesday before to give people a little extra time with family, especially with the craziness of open enrollment. And for the week between Christmas and New Years, we rotate and have one person monitor all day, which gives everyone some extra family time.

Susan L. Combs, president & CEO,Combs & Company

Retreat to the spa

As much as we try to prep for the fourth quarter throughout the year, it inevitable that it still becomes the most stressful part of the year. For our team in Kansas City, I have found that spa visits work particularly well. We send them to the spa at the beginning of the fourth quarter and again at the end (they choose the treatment they would like to receive).

In the past we have done group outings, lunches, chair massages and early office closures on Fridays. None of these perks ever seem to be expected and are always much appreciated. You can see a return on the investment without a doubt. Little things like this go a long way for office morale and ultimately for our clients.

Brandon Scarborough, senior vice president, Cobbs Allen

Put it into perspective

We all know that this time of year is like April 15th if we were CPAs! We spend the majority of the year planning our timelines, work flow, and client deliverables for this year-end crunch. However, no matter how much we plan or prepare, there is always going to be a little stress this time of year. Here are a few things we work on internally to manage the craziness:

• Get together as a team to share stories, wins, and just to connect personally • Create an environment where it is OK to ask for help and build a team focused on helping each other regardless of “roles” • Definitely bring in some breakfast, lunch or even an adult beverage for social interaction and a mental health break • Encourage a few “walking meetings” to get up away from your desk for some fresh air and a few extra steps • Invite a key carrier/distribution partner into the office. It is important to connect with our partners rather than always email/phone negotiations and issue resolution. • Most important, take pride in every meeting and the results we achieve. While the meeting volume is high, the successful outcome from our work impacts the client's bottom line and literally hundreds (or thousands) of employees, spouses and children.

The fruit of our labor ensures access to quality and affordable healthcare that protects the employee's paycheck and their personal health and well-being. It is noble work and every meeting we prepare for has a huge impact on people's lives! It is important to stop and reflect on this rather than running to the next meeting.

Reed Smith, EVP/Employee benefits practice leader, CoBiz Insurance

Keep it light

We strive for great employee engagement, especially during the fourth quarter. In addition to our monthly massages and twice-a-month yoga, we add events including a hot fudge sundae afternoon, bagels and cream cheese for breakfast and lunches with themes. For example, in November, we have a “potluck” (RGEB brings it in) before Thanksgiving with everyone's favorite comfort food. At the end of October we also dress up for Halloween, and one of our employees makes her famous pumpkin ice cream pie with Oreo cookie crust. The idea is to keep things light, funny, and stress reducing.

Barry S. Cohn, Really Great Employee Benefits

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