As you may have heard, the holidays are just around the corner, so many of you are probably thinking about the places you’ll go and the feasts you’ll eat rather than the work you must finish. As such, the next couple months could be a bit unfocused in your office. While you probably want to revel in the coming holidays, you also know that keeping engaged will help everyone stay diligent at work.

Here are a few strategies that our friends from ej4 put together to help you and your office maintain productivity.

1. Reinstate Goals (Managers)
With so much to look forward to during November and December, we may lose sight of company goals. However, you can help the office get excited for work by revising goals. For instance, if you want to hit a certain sales number for the year, let your team know where they stand. Simply knowing their proximity to the goal could help them make the final push. You can also have each person write personal goals they want to accomplish during the holidays – this gives them direction during work hours.

2. Put Skills to Use (Managers)
A good leader identifies the skills of his or her team and assigns each member a task suited to those abilities. This method of assigning work to your team not only takes advantage of the skills available, but also motivates people. Most individuals prefer to spend their time doing something they’re good at. Fortunately, many companies are already doing this. According to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) 2014 Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement Survey, 70 percent of people feel they have adequate opportunities to use their skills at work. Is your company among that majority or do you have some work to do?

3. Avoid Scrooge-like Behaviors (Everyone)
In “A Christmas Carol,” Ebenezer Scrooge kept his employee in a cold office on Christmas Eve. He hated the holidays, and his attitude upset those around him. While the holidays may be distracting, you can use festive energy to keep you and your co-workers working hard. Rather than pretend the world isn’t celebrating, bring the excitement to the office. You can hold a holiday-themed contest in which the most productive person gets a prize. You could also host a potluck meal. Doing so makes people more willing to put forth extra effort and encourages socialization, which makes the office a more lively and inviting place.

In the SHRM survey, 73 percent of employees said they were satisfied with their relationships with their co-workers. A healthy social environment contributes to overall employee happiness, so accommodate it during the holidays.