5 Tips for a September Reset

Kids often dread the end of summer, knowing their workload is going to ramp up considerably once they’re back in school. That dread doesn’t always disappear in adulthood, either. September finds many professionals unmotivated or unenthusiastic about having to participate—or lead—an inevitable end-of-year work push. Anxiety over AI transformation, a slowing economy, and other factors could contribute to this year’s doldrums.

However, it doesn’t have to be a slog, experts say. A seasonal marker—like the end of summer—can be used to reset expectations and even increase motivation and engagement. Researchers at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania have dubbed this the “fresh start effect,” and business news outlets have noted how “September is the new January” for workers. “It’s a good motivator to create an appropriate sense of urgency,” says Korn Ferry senior client partner Mark Royal.

With that in mind, we asked our experts for their best tips and advice for a September reset for both leaders and employees.

Take a progress audit.

Revisit the business and individual goals set at the beginning of the year and see how much progress has been made, suggests Roger Philby, global leader of the People Strategy and Performance practice at Korn Ferry. Categorize and focus on what’s strategic, delegate any operational or other tasks as needed, and eliminate or revise goals that you are unlikely to achieve. Philby uses the exercise himself to set priorities for the final third of the year. “It’s still at the top of my list because it helps reframe how I am spending my time versus where I am creating value,” he says.

Focus on how you work, not what’s left to do.

Don’t fall into the trap of focusing on what’s left to accomplish or how many goals you haven’t yet achieved, says Karrin Randle, an associate client partner in Korn Ferry’s Culture, Change, and Communications practice. Instead, concentrate on how you can collaborate, support, or lead in order to reach strategic goals more effectively. “It’s a moment to set clear expectations to deliver what’s needed for the rest of the year,” she says.

Reconnect to your purpose.

On the leadership side, celebrating achievements and wins that underscore the company’s purpose and values can boost engagement and increase motivation, Randle says. For employees, try reconnecting with the “why” of your job and what makes it meaningful to you. That can lead to more satisfaction and even improve well-being, which in turn can make you more productive. “The organizations that thrive all year long are ones where leaders clearly connect the vision to the work,” she says.

Set monthly milestones.

In most cases, the goals that go unmet are ones that are too vague or without clear deadlines. Put another way, there aren’t concrete steps or processes to achieve these goals, which leads people to put them off. As part of a reset, Royal suggests setting monthly milestones or even devising small incentives (think fun more than financial) to mark and reward progress over the next four months. “The milestones serve as check-in points to drive focus and energy and mitigate risks and surprises,” he says.

Trim the messages.

Emails. Texts. Internal communications channels. According to research, the average professional spends 60% of their day exchanging and responding to messages. Philby says there is a direct correlation between the number of messages you send and the number you receive. He purposely tries to “change the volume” of messaging during the end-of-year push to improve focus and productivity. Using collaborative tools for project updates, for instance, helps cut down on back-and-forth email threads. “There is no performance in communication,” says Philby.

Learn more about Korn Ferry’s Leadership and Development capabilities.

Read more This Week in Leadership articles