As a final theme as we come to the end of 2024, I’d like to develop a car analogy. I recently changed my car from a plug-in hybrid to a fully electric vehicle with which I am very happy. Just before handing in my old car and collecting the new one I became somewhat paranoid about damaging it or having an accident. According to the dealer this is fairly normal, and some customers even leave their cars in the driveway to avoid this risk, which I could simply not do because of work and private demands. My caution still did not stop me being in a hurry one late afternoon and, ignoring all the warnings beeps and signals from the car, reversing albeit at a very slow speed into a large and solid Volvo SUV in the car park of a local garden centre. Fortunately, both cars had resilient bumpers at the same height and no harm was done. However, it made me think that like reversing there are times in professional life when it really pays to recognise the most critical nature of a deal and be on high alert and (unlike me) be extra vigilant – and don’t rush!

This manifests itself particularly when the matter or task is extremely urgent and everybody under pressure to complete the matter quickly for whatever reason. Finishing a deal and signing a contract by the year end is a typical and very apt seasonal analogy as we approach the conclusion of the calendar year 2024. This can lead to rushing, a lack of thoroughness, reduced accuracy, ignoring important factors and long-term implications. I recall many years ago working with a team for a supplier on a major deal that just had to be completed by Christmas (when everybody went on holiday). We were pressurised into accepting a less than perfect contract. Our own client’s governance was throwing up fundamental questions in final governance reviews like “this solution cannot be delivered for this price and without more contributions from the customer”. Nevertheless, we went ahead and signed, celebrating with lots of drinking in a pub near Westminster as I recall. In the cold light of the new year all the warnings came to pass, and it turned out the delivery effort had been very significantly under costed while the customer responsibilities (a critical aspect of major service contracts) were not clearly specified. And this is not a good state of affairs for the customer either; a supplier struggling to make a return may not be incentivised to provide the best service. 

I suggest that there are personal and organisational ways to manage this sort of pressure and help secure a better outcome. Perhaps the most important from my experience is to recognise what is happening and take steps to counteract and deal with this seasonal challenge. See this Forbes article  Need Help Managing The End Of The Year Stress? Which recognises that this is both an exciting and stressful time of year that benefits from managing and advocates some ways to help.

• Reality Check. First, recognize that you won’t get it all done exactly as you imagined, and let yourself say “that’s okay.”
• Change others’ expectations. In addition to altering your own expectations, talk to your colleagues or supervisors to see if you can make some changes in their expectations for what can be accomplished at the end of the year.
• Chunk it into bits. One of the biggest stressors we face is the size of what we have to accomplish – whether it is finishing up work projects, getting all of our presents ready in advance, or cleaning our entire house for holiday company. Sometimes just viewing these massive lists we have created can be overwhelming. If possible, break those large projects into smaller ones.

From a personal point of view this means taking steps to recognise and manage this potentially stressful time of year. Se this article addressed at the finance profession My Sure-Fire Tips for Tackling Year-End Stress which comments “The ‘year-end stretch’ brings long hours, complex tasks, and the unrelenting expectation to do things both quickly and accurately. This unique combination of pressures can easily overwhelm even more experienced pros.” It recommends a number of tips to help manage this including:

• Get some exercise. Whether you prefer jogging, going to the gym, or playing a team sport like rugby, staying active is a fun, scientifically proven way to improve your mood. And escape the office!  
• Get rid of distractions. To paraphrase a famous litany, distraction is the mind-killer. According to researchers from the University of California-Irvine, it takes us an astonishing 23 minutes and 15 seconds to turn our attention back to a task once we’ve been interrupted.
• Give yourself something to look forward to. We’ve all felt the bump of motivation from working towards a holiday or a night out with friends. But according to one 2015 study, this ‘positive anticipation’ is “uniquely able to induce positive emotions both during and after stress, and that this boost subserves improved coping and recovery.”

From an organisational perspective I suggest there needs to be more recognition on a corporate level of the risks I allude to above of dragging a deal which really needs more time over the line by Xmas or 31 December. Maybe at a senior level every IT outsourcing supplier and customer should perform a joint reality check to determine whether in the context of a deal or deals coming up to completion around this time of year the risks to staff and to the success of the transaction are outweighed by the challenges of a year-end closure. Especially if the end of the calendar year is not a financial year end for either party, would both parties not benefit from moving signing into the new light of January rather than rushing to meet everybody’s seasonal agenda? More haste less speed as the saying goes.

Don’t get me wrong here. I have worked on many large well managed outsourcing deals which signed before Christmas or at least the year end in the public and private sectors which have gone on into successful delivery in the new year. These we rightly celebrated with some festive spirit! However, they were the result of many hours of negotiation and preparation and were ready to sign. My message today is not to use the festive season as an excuse to conclude a transaction which is not ready.

As the Chinese philosopher and writer Laozi observes “Rushing into action, you fail. Trying to grasp things, you lose them. Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe.” 
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Have a great festive season and all the best for the New Year 2025 with the exciting and challenging times and changes it will no doubt bring for all of us.
 

I came across a term last week that I had sort of understood as a concept for a long time but not seen as clearly articulated – microaggression. This is according to AI “a subtle, often unintentional, comment or action that conveys a negative message to a person based on their marginalized group membership”. An example would be “You speak English quite well”. Psychiatrist and Harvard University Emeritus Professor Chester M. Pierce is credited as being the originator of the term in 1969, when he created the word to describe the insults and dismissals he regularly witnessed non-black Americans inflict upon those of African American descent. See this scholarly article  Microaggressions: An Introduction from Georgia State University  which says “Microaggressions are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults toward people who are not classified within the “normative” standard. Perpetrators of microaggressions are often unaware that they engage in such communications when they interact with people who differ from themselves.” It discusses racial/ethnic, gender, higher education, and law microaggressions and observes “studies reveal, that microaggressions, while seemingly trivial in nature have major consequences for marginalized groups in our society”.

However, as we approach the festive season (I am just waiting for the latest storm to abate to put up our outside Xmas lights - hoping they still function) which encompasses not only Christmas but other celebrations around the same time such as Yule, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Winter Solstice, I wanted to focus not on this quite negative topic, but rather the opposite of microaggression which could be described as microaffirmation. This is defined again on AI as “small, subtle acts or statements that validate, affirm, and acknowledge another person in a positive and supportive way. These behaviours promote inclusion, respect, and belonging.
Examples of microaffirmations might include:
• Active Listening: Giving someone your full attention and showing genuine interest in their perspective.
• Recognition: Complimenting someone’s efforts or achievements, no matter how small.
• Inclusive Language: Using words that make people feel seen and respected.
• Encouragement: Offering support or affirming someone’s capabilities.
These small actions counterbalance the negative effects of microaggressions by fostering a more inclusive and affirming environment.”

See this short but to the point HR blog Practice Microaffirmations to Help Build a More Inclusive Workplace which proposes that “Microaffirmations acknowledge an individual’s identity, recognize and validate their experience and expertise, build confidence and trust, and foster belonging. They can be conveyed through nods, facial expressions, choices of words, and tones of voice that communicate inclusion, caring, and listening. Examples of microaffirmations are publicly giving a co-worker accolades for an accomplishment, referring to specifics of a past conversation to show that you listened and remembered, and saying hello to someone as they enter the workplace.”

While this Forbes article Leveraging Microaffirmations Can Transform Workplace Culture proposes that “In the workplace, when leaders make small gestures of gratitude, they demonstrate pride and confidence in their team members. By promoting consideration and esteem, microaffirmations can change the organizational atmosphere, improve employee health status and bolster team cohesiveness.” Its suggested strategies include:

• Lead By Example: People leaders should be approachable and encouraging.
• Add To Formal Evaluations: Include microaffirmations in your performance evaluation processes.
• Invite Peer Recognition: Encouraging peer-to-peer acknowledgment can promote affirming gestures across departments.

It is these small gestures that really count and can be very important in a professional business context. If a busy manager passes a colleague in the corridor of an office and ignores them, they immediately feel the worst – thinking what have I done wrong? In reality they are probably the last thing on their boss’s mind. However, a simple warm greeting or passing comment or even just a smile avoids this and instead creates a positive impression. This short blogasks “can intentional acts of micro-affirmation foster inclusion, boost self-worth, and help employees achieve their full potential?” and concludes they can and “should be an integral part of how we interact in the workplace.” Commenting that: “A micro-affirmation is a small acknowledgment of another person’s value. It’s a subtle act of inclusion and kindness that goes a long way when built into company culture or even just one person’s everyday practice”.

See also this TED article How to be an ally in the workplace: 13 ways to do it which comments “In contrast to microaggressions, microaffirmations are little ways that you can affirm someone’s identity; recognize and validate their experience and expertise; build confidence; develop trust; foster belonging; and support someone in their career. Microaffirmations can help mitigate and disrupt the harmful effects of historical oppression, systemic inequity, cultural marginalization and personal biases.” It then proposes some to try out.

• Get to know people, and pay close attention to their words and ideas.
• Acknowledge important religious and cultural holidays and life milestones.
• When someone isn’t participating, take notice and support them.
• Invite someone to speak and share their expertise.
• Establish ahead of time what behaviors and skills demonstrate proficiency and leadership in a role.

The potential challenges of microaggressions and the benefits of microaffirmations occur I suggest in all branches of our professional world including, for example, medicine. See this article from the American Journal of Medicine Creating a Culture of Micro-Affirmations to Overcome Gender-Based Micro-Inequities in Academic Medicine which comments “Cumulative micro-affirmations have the potential to foster individual and collective growth and allow everyone to thrive. Examples of micro-affirmations include:

• Appreciative inquiry: “What is something you are working on that you are excited about?”
• Recognition and validation of experiences and feelings: “I know that not getting the grant is a disappointment or having a patient complication is challenging.”
• Reinforcing and rewarding positive behaviors: “Congratulations on your publication!” 
• Intentional inclusion in professional settings (meetings, conferences, presentations) and information networks.
• Introducing team members by name and role: “This is Dr. _____, a resident working on your care team.”

So whatever profession we practice and creed or religion we follow (or not) as we hurry into the festive season in what can be a stressful time at work with year-end deadlines etc. (whilst simultaneously organising presents, holidays and family get togethers) let’s try to find ways to practice microaffirmation with colleagues, friends and family.
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“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”. Eleanor Roosevelt.