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The 12 Questions of Christmas: The End-of-Year Check-In That Could Transform Your Culture in 2026

  • Blog, Company Culture, Employee Wellbeing, Speak-Up, Workplace Bullying

Written by Ann Barker, Head of Growth and Engagement, WorkInConfidence

The 12 Questions of Christmas: The End-of-Year Check-In That Could Transform Your Culture in 2026

And why the answers may reveal what your people haven’t said all year…..

December is often a month of deadlines, planning sessions and tying up loose ends. But behind the dashboards and year-end reports, something else is happening — something organisations rarely talk about.
Employees are quietly reflecting too.
While leaders are reviewing numbers, many employees are reviewing their future.
And those reflections can be brutally honest.
  • “I’m exhausted.”
  • “I don’t feel appreciated.”
  • “I don’t feel safe raising concerns here.”
  • “Next year, something has to change.”
For some, their New Year’s resolution may be to find a new job — not because they want to leave, but because they don’t believe things will change if they stay.
The most powerful way to prevent those silent decisions? Ask questions that show you are genuinely listening — before January arrives.
Here are the 12 Questions of Christmas every leader should ask before the year ends. They are questions that give leaders a chance to hear those concerns now, while there is still time to change the story.

🎄The 12 Questions of Christmas

Meaningful, psychologically safe questions will help leaders hear what employees often hold back.

1. What part of this year has felt most rewarding for you?

Helps you understand where people genuinely feel energised

2. What has felt most frustrating, draining, or unnecessarily hard?
Gives people space to express pressure they’ve carried alone.
3. When have you felt most supported, and least supported by the team?
Reveals culture blind spots that don’t show up in reports.
4. Is there anything you haven’t felt comfortable raising before now?
This is where truth often finally appears.
5.  What would make your day-to-day work easier or more enjoyable?
Often uncovers simple fixes that dramatically improve morale.
6. Do you feel you can speak openly about concerns without negative consequences?
A direct measure of psychological safety.
7.  What’s one thing we should stop doing, start doing, and continue doing?
A simple, structured way to invite honest feedback.
8.  Do you feel recognised and appreciated for what you’ve contributed?
Recognition is one of the biggest predictors of engagement.
9. What’s something you need from us that you’re not currently getting?
Shows whether the organisation is meeting basic needs.
10. What’s something you’d like to learn or develop next year?
Highlights growth — or signals disengagement.
11.  How are you feeling about your future here?
A gentle question that often reveals unspoken intentions.
12. What would make 2026 a better year for you at work?
The perfect closing question — focused, hopeful, actionable

🎄Why these questions matter so much right now

The end of the year is when people finally have space to think.
It’s when they step back and ask themselves:
  • “Am I happy here?”
  • “Do I feel respected?”
  • “Is this environment good for my wellbeing?”
  • “Is this where I want to be next year?”
And if the honest answer is no, many quietly decide to explore their options in January.
As leaders set bold goals for 2026, employees are doing the same.
And for some, that goal is a new job — not because they want to leave, but because they don’t feel safe to stay.

🎄What happens when these questions go unasked?

Unspoken issues don’t disappear.
They simply travel with people into the new year:
  • Minor frustrations become major patterns
  • Morale dips in January
  • Confidence erodes
  • Talented people quietly plan their exit
Silence can be expensive in so many ways for businesses.
Listening is transformative.

🎄December is your culture reset moment

 This is the moment to pause — really pause — and say:
“We want next year to feel different.
We want you to feel heard.
Tell us what we haven’t seen.”
Leaders who ask these questions now signal something powerful:
We care enough to listen — before you decide to walk away.

🎄Culture resolutions for 2026

Once you’ve asked the questions, commit to:
• Listen early
• Respond fast
• Protect every voice
• Measure progress
• Celebrate improvement
Small actions, repeated consistently, build trust.

🎄Final thoughts......

While leaders review the numbers, employees review their future.
The 12 Questions of Christmas might be the difference between someone staying — or silently deciding it’s time to go.
Let’s make 2026 the year your people feel truly safe, valued and heard.

🎄How WorkInConfidence Helps

WorkInConfidence supports organisations in creating environments where employees feel safe and confident to call things out. We offer: 

  • Secure, anonymous two way speak-up channels. 
  • Case management that ensures issues are tracked and resolved, as well as learnings made and shared. 
  • Engagement and survey tools to measure confidence and culture. 
 
We help employers give every employee a safe, independent way to speak up and be heard. We help organisations create a culture of openness and trust that demonstrates true care for employee wellbeing.
 
Why not learn more about how we’ve created a safe space for employees to share concerns, report issues, or even contribute ideas. Book a platform demo here: Platform Demo
 

It takes about 30 minutes. And, if you’d just like a no obligation chat about anonymous Speak Up –  please contact us:

Email: help@workinconfidence.com      I      Tel: 0845 3831014

  

Additional Resources....

There is a range of Employer Guides on the website which you may find useful and interesting. Here’s a link:

https://www.workinconfidence.com/employee-engagement-resources-and-tools/

 

A safe and secure two-way anonymous channel for your people to raise concerns via phone, tablet, or PC, ensuring you are aware of any workplace issues and can respond quickly and accordingly

A secure online place to record, track, update, and report on all speaking up matters, whether raised through WorkInConfidence or directly.

Easily set up, run and interpret surveys on engagement, respect, wellness or other topics to ensure you always understand your people, their needs and motivations.

A confidential external phone line with a dedicated Speak Up Guardian for your people to raise concerns with.  We also provide training in Freedom to Speak Up, Speaking up and safeguarding processes.

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