As summer draws to a close, many managers face the same challenge: the year is moving fast, company goals still need to be delivered, and your team is already stretched between daily responsibilities and long-term projects.

The good news is that now is the perfect moment to reset. Late August and early September offer a natural pause, and a chance to regroup before the final quarter begins.

The Fresh Start Effect

Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as the fresh start effect, which is the motivational boost we experience after reaching “temporal landmarks,” such as the start of a new season or work cycle. These moments give us, and our teams,  a clean slate to refocus and act with renewed energy.

Here's how you can leverage that fresh start to motivate your team this autumn.

1. Realign Priorities

Even the best teams can lose sight of what matters most if priorities aren’t crystal clear.  Many organisations I work with have significant change or transformation projects underway, which are creating ripples across other projects and goals.

As a manager, your role is to cut through the noise and provide clarity.

• Reconfirm what’s most important.  Make sure your team knows the top priorities for the next 2–3 months.

• Clarify trade-offs. If new projects arise, explain what can shift or pause to create capacity.

• Connect to the bigger picture.  People stay motivated when they see how their work contributes to the company’s success.

2. Protect Time for Goal Work

Emails, meetings, and urgent requests can easily overwhelm your team’s best intentions. I often see teams squeezing project work into lunch breaks or logging an extra hour in the evening. 

The result? Overworked employees who struggle to get it all done.

One of the most valuable things you can do as a manager is to help them carve out protected time for focused work.

• Set team-wide no-meeting blocks.  Even one shared weekly slot gives everyone space to make progress.

• Encourage calendar holds. Ask your team to block recurring time for project work, just as they would for a client meeting.

• Model it yourself. Show your team that you also schedule time for priority work.

3. Build Momentum with Quick Wins

Large goals can feel daunting,  especially as we head into the final quarter of the calendar year.  Breaking projects into smaller milestones helps generate visible progress and confidence.

• Chunk big projects. Identify achievable milestones and focus on them, rather than a distant deadline.

• Recognise small wins. Acknowledge completed steps in team meetings and 1:1s.

• Show impact early. Share updates on how even small contributions are making an impact on projects, goals or other parts of the business. This helps your team see the connection between daily work and bigger changes.

4. Track and Communicate Progress

At work, progress that isn’t visible can feel like progress that doesn’t exist. By creating a simple communication rhythm, you can keep goals front and centre without adding heavy reporting and more meetings.

• Use simple tools.  A shared tracker, project board, or weekly update doc is enough.

• Keep check-ins short. A 10-minute huddle or quick written update can maintain momentum.

• Recognise contributions. Highlight both progress and effort during one-to-one and team meetings.

A Fresh Start

The final months of the year don’t need to feel like a scramble. By realigning on priorities, protecting time, building momentum, and making progress visible, you can help your team feel both motivated and capable of achieving their goals.

If you’d like support in motivating and supporting your team, I’d be happy to help. Get in touch to explore practical ways to re-energise your people, improve focus, and finish the year strong.