Newsletter December 2025 - Watt about the employee lifecycle?

Claire Watt
1 hour ago
3 min read

Every small business has those key people you rely on. When they leave after years in the role, they take with them knowledge about suppliers, processes and client relationships that nobody else has.

It’s a familiar story. But it’s also completely preventable through succession planning.

"Succession planning" sounds corporate, but it simply means knowing who could step into key roles and getting them ready before you need them.

Without it, knowledge disappears. You pay agency fees

for replacements. Your business value stays tied to specific people who could leave tomorrow.

The practical approach involves:

Identifying which roles would hurt most if empty: often not the senior titles, but the people whose absence would disrupt your week
Documenting what really makes them effective: which customers need special handling, which suppliers are flexible, problems only they spot
Looking at your existing team differently: who asks about the wider business and keeps things running during busy periods
Testing potential successors with holiday cover and routine decisions
Writing it down, sharing it with the people involved and reviewing quarterly

The benefits are clear: good people stay when they see opportunities, you can take proper breaks from the

business and, if you ever want to sell, buyers see a business that runs without depending on specific

individuals.

We suggest starting with 3 critical roles and you can build from there.

Our latest guide covers all of this in more detail, so get in touch for your copy.

And if you'd prefer to talk it through, we can help to design something simple for your business.

December can be a busy month for small business owners and it often brings a few extra people issues to manage. If you're dealing with challenges this month, here's how to handle them and survive the festive season (relatively) unscathed.

1: Party problems

If someone's behaviour at Friday's event has led to a complaint, deal with it like any other workplace issue: get the facts, speak to everyone involved separately and keep clear notes of what was agreed.

Remember: work social events count as an extension of the workplace. If behaviour there affects working relationships, you need to address it properly.

2: Stressed staff

Money worries peak in December. Family pressures build. Some employees feel isolated while others celebrate. You can't fix their personal situations, but here's what helps:

check in with people who seem withdrawn, be flexible, where possible, with hours or workload and remind staff about any support services you offer.

Small adjustments make a real difference.

3: Monday morning no-shows

When one or two people don't show up the morning after the night out, stay consistent. Follow your usual absence procedures. If someone doesn't follow the right process, address it. If lateness triggers a conversation, have it. Apply your rules fairly across the board, whoever's involved.

December doesn’t mean standards should slip.

4: Keeping it inclusive

Not everyone celebrates Christmas and forcing participation or assuming everyone shares the same traditions creates problems.

The solution: keep work events optional, acknowledge different perspectives and focus on closing

the year well rather than one specific celebration. This helps to avoid resentment and keeps morale steady across your whole team.

Don't forget : You can't prevent every December challenge. But you can handle them fairly, keep good records and protect your team's working relationships.

If it feels overwhelming, we're here to help you to sort through the tricky conversations and get back

on track.