The Q4 crunch: Striking balance amid year-end stress
As organizations settle into the final quarter of the year, the pressure to meet annual goals is intensifying — and it’s a drag on the workforce.
Historical trends suggest that productivity spikes in Q4 — rising 3.2% last year, as both output and number of hours worked also grew, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, mentions of burnout recently hit a record high in employee reviews, according to Glassdoor.
While social media trends like “October Theory” suggest increased motivation during this period, experts warn against relying on last-minute pushes and advocate for more sustainable approaches.
“Burnout is chronic stress for a prolonged period of time accompanied by disinterestedness and severe fatigue and exhaustion,” said Arivee Vargas, an executive coach and author. “If your employees reach burnout at the end of Q4, they are unlikely to be able to perform at their best and hit the ground running in January.”
The challenge is particularly evident in the disconnect between leadership and staff perspectives.
Lucid Software, a maker of workplace collaboration products, found in a survey of 2,200 knowledge workers worldwide that while 4 in 10 executives are completely confident their teams will hit their goals, just 17% of individual contributors share that optimism, suggesting a need for better alignment and communication strategies.
Chief evangelist Bryan Stallings emphasizes the importance of joint goal setting. “Goals that were set in late 2023 may feel out of reach now. Rather than having a narrow view of success and goal setting, it may be best to adjust goals to be more realistic and encourage teams to finish the year on a positive note,” he said.
For her part, Vargas recommends implementing specific practices to maintain steady productivity throughout the year. “Set quarterly goals and milestones, and then break that down by month for the team and show where employees fit within that picture,” she said. Vargas emphasizes the importance of regular recognition, suggesting that teams implement “a practice of consistent recognition at each month’s team meeting where the team can give each other shout outs.”
The role of technology, particularly AI, is emerging as a potential solution to Q4 stress. That said, Jason Lapp, CEO of presentation software firm Beautiful.ai, cautions against viewing AI as a quick fix, explaining, “AI is challenging … there’s not, like, a single AI. It’s not like you can just say, ‘Hey, I’m buying this AI for my entire company, and it’s going to solve all the problems.’”
Lapp challenges the conventional thinking about Q4 productivity spikes, noting, “I find that Q1 tends to be the most energized and productive because it’s a fresh start.” As for barreling through in Q4? “I don’t know that that’s a healthy way to exist year-out,” he said.
Experts recommend these key strategies for managing year-end workplace stress:
Maintain open communication. Vargas emphasizes that “a company and team should have a culture where employees feel comfortable speaking up to ask for support to help make their workloads more manageable.”
Foster psychological safety. As Stallings notes, “Especially at the end of the year, when pressures are high, being supportive and responsive to teams will communicate, by action, that executives and teams can support one another.”
Balance workloads. “While employees want to finish the year strong, they do not want to be crawling to the end of it,” Vargas warns, suggesting that organizations avoid adding new responsibilities in Q4 unless they’re also removing existing tasks.
Leverage tech, where appropriate. While AI tools can certainly help with specific tasks, Lapp reassures that the technology still works best with humans involved — in Q4 or otherwise, adding, “While it has the potential to transform industries and different types of jobs, it’s going to take some time.”