Jonathan Lyons is the Co-Founder of Groundwork, an exclusive community created specifically for climate tech founders focused on navigating the challenges of building successful climate tech ventures. He is an expert in leadership development, and in this guest post, he shares the lessons he has learned when communicating with employees at the end of the year.
I used to dread writing the annual year-end company email, but over the years I’ve come to develop a bit of a framework for what I consider to be “good” note to wrap up the year’s noteworthy observations and events.
Reflecting on this past year's growth in my consulting business, Among & Between, and the launch of the climate tech founder platform, Groundwork, with partners Nisha Sehn and Emily Steinberg, I wanted to offer some leadership advice to founders to hopefully avoid the worst mistakes in an “End of Year” email.
Throughout my career, I've encountered both inspiring and dismal end-of-year emails. The best ones focus on culture, team accomplishments, and mission, while the worst can be:
❌ Narcissistic: Centered on the CEO’s pet projects, littered with "I" statements, interspersed with red herrings, often boasting about an exotic vacation only affordable to the CEO.
❌ Passive-aggressive: Glossing over glaring, yet unresolved, failures at the business's core.
❌ Ominously punitive: Casting a shadow over holiday breaks with threats like, "Make sure you rest up because we need to recoup Q4's losses!"
Whether inspiring or demoralizing, the end of year email is scrutinized by perceptive employees and investors alike, seeking insights into leadership thinking and what the next year might hold. It prompts questions like, "Should I update my resume?"
Founders, particularly in CEO roles, are leaders of people—a responsibility that must be explicitly acknowledged. Fortunately, leadership is a well-studied field and can be learned. Earlier this year, Groundwork dedicated several sessions to exploring various leadership styles with a cohort of founders.
With these lessons in mind, here are a few tips to consider for your end-of-year email:
✅ Book Time to Reflect: Spend some time early next week to reflect and journal. Don't wait until December 29th.
✅ Gratitude: Document five to ten aspects of your team, company, and customers over the past year that bring you pride or gratitude.
✅ Cultural Moments: Recall instances where your company's values were positively reinforced. Frame these in terms of: situation, person, action, result.
✅ Acknowledge Challenges: Identify this year's top challenges. Highlight a few your team overcame, detailing how they did it.
✅ Key Metrics: Reflect on whether your company met its goals and how to approach missed objectives.
✅ Looking Ahead: Share your excitement and concerns for the upcoming year. Encourage your team to brainstorm solutions for anticipated challenges.
If your company culture allows, invite your team to contribute their thoughts. The email could then include a snapshot of these responses.
After this reflection, compose your email with observations that reinforce the actions, goals, and culture you aspire to cultivate across your organization. Emphasize inclusivity, openness, and togetherness. Remember to acknowledge everyone's need for a well-earned break and express gratitude for being part of a team that you proudly built.
