4-minute read
In deference to Giving Tuesday, this article is posting a week late.
It’s December, a month of both reflection and anticipation. How to sum up a year like no other? The overarching theme of 2025 was uncertainty, about funding, the job market, the stock market, the future of democracy, and the list goes on.
Uncertainty will continue to be the hangover no one wants in 2026, but with a difference. At the beginning of 2025, uncertainty was accompanied by shock, indignation, and reactivity. But then, even as uncertainty continued to grow, there was a shift among organizations and individuals from reactivity to proactivity, from indignation to strategic thinking, and from shock to resolve – the right mindset for the inevitable hard work ahead.
As I was thinking about how to encapsulate and distill the entirety of the 2025 shapeshift and apply it to an approach for 2026, I was stuck. Then I attended a panel discussion of brilliant minds gathered to discuss the future of public health. What emerged were five universal themes that are as true for public health as for those leading teams. It is a pleasure to share the panel’s topline insights, which I have adapted to managing teams, as an outline for planning and leading your team in the year ahead.
Give up legacy practices that aren’t working
Routine promotes a sense of security. We often rely on legacy practices: we hire, onboard, and train the same way; run our team meetings the same way; and manage performance the same way, creating routines and measurable processes. But are these routines the right ones for the road ahead?
Your legacy practices were developed in a time with different pressures and opportunities. Success in the year ahead will be driven by creative thinking.
Review your legacy practices with a critical eye. Grant yourself the permission to abandon what won’t serve your goals and develop practices from hiring to performance management that reward creativity, collaboration, and strategic thinking. These are the competencies that buffer against uncertainty. The buggy whip was a must-have until cars came along.
Reconnect with those you serve
With your year ahead likely focused on strategy and creative solutions, you’ll need results from your team. Your people will respond to the challenge if they feel valued.
Performance reviews provide hard data on skills and competencies and are a strong start. Referencing the legacy topic above, there may be legacy communication routines in place that aren’t serving you or your team. Now is the time to have an open conversation about communication from both sides; what works, what doesn’t, and how feedback is approached, delivered, and operationalized.
Having clear, co-created communication pillars is essential for approaching the year ahead. To create accountability, agree on what to do and say if your communication agreements go sideways.
From here, conversations about how team members envision their roles in the upcoming year will give you insight into where their aspirations lie. High performers will stretch themselves, low performers won’t. This tells you where you’ll need to focus your support and motivation efforts.
Be clear
Disinformation. Misinformation. Social media. News on repeat. It’s a noisy world. Make 2026 your year of clear communication.
How can you translate complex strategy into simple, everyday language and plans for your team? Break down communication barriers, especially for newer team members, by limiting acronyms and industry jargon. Focus on what it is, why it is, and how it’s being approached.
A simple filter for clarity in communication is: “How would I explain this to a 10-year-old?”
Clarity communicates confidence and is the gateway to building trust. With new challenges yet to be uncovered, 2026 will be a year that requires clear communication and trust among team members. As the team lead, you are the role model and the guide, so set the standard you want to attain.
Invite collective thinking
The challenges will be many in the year ahead. You will be asked to think differently, so assemble a group of different thinkers.
You already have internal and industry colleagues to talk about industry-specific challenges, but if you are being tasked with thinking differently, make a list of the most creative thinkers you know. Look across industries, arts and culture, writers, journalists, and politicians. Each represents a new point of view and lens for tackling a sticky problem. They can help you, and you can reciprocate. Throw the net wide. You’ll be glad you did.
Stay optimistic, because what’s the choice?
This was one of the many pearls of wisdom. The story the panelist shared was about her mother, a public-school teacher, who taught her to begin and end each day with a positive thought. This simple practice sustained her as a public health official during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to guide her through today and beyond. A positive mindset is a powerful force. Certainly, a legacy practice worth hanging on to.
Yes, there will be new challenges to face in the year ahead. You can use the prompts above as reference points to help with decision-making.
Here are in-the-moment vetting questions based on the five prompts above:
Does this decision advance a strategic objective?
How can I best communicate the decision?
Who on my team is in the best position to execute?
Have I thought creatively enough?
Who else should I bring into the process?
There will be much more to discuss in 2026. Until then, I wish you a holiday season filled with laughter and fun.
Thank you for reading.
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