Staying Organized
You can’t foresee every obstacle and challenge that awaits you in the new year, and any successful organization must be ready to pivot on a moment’s notice if necessary. That’s why having a blueprint for success can put you miles ahead of the curve. For every hour of planning, three to four hours are saved from redundancy, waiting for information, not being prepared, and poorly managed tasks.(1) Imagine how much time and energy you could save through a few weeks or months of planning for the new year!
Now, in order for plans to be successfully drafted and implemented, organization is key. But how do you keep organized with so many things going on in your company? In the modern era of digital tools and electronic calendars, would you believe that, according to a study conducted by Cal State Fullerton, people are more successful at setting and implementing plans when using a paper calendar instead?(2) The main reason is because paper calendars allow users to see their weekly or monthly schedules when adding new events. This helps them prioritize and organize their tasks more effectively than a mobile calendar, which tends to give more of a daily view of tasks. As a result, the plans are also more likely to be fulfilled.
Where You’ve Been
Whether it’s in the workplace or in life, it’s always important to take inventory of where you’ve been before you decide where you’re going. Highlight and celebrate the wins you and your team had over the past year and reflect on some of the things that can be improved. What processes worked? What SOP’s need to be tweaked? What lessons can you take away from the problems and solutions you encountered? Taking note of all these various factors will inform the choices you make in the new year.
Also worth noting is where your competition has been. Conduct a competitive audit of other companies in your industry and see how they’ve attacked problems, new technology they’ve implemented, how they’ve marketed themselves, and anything else that may be relevant. This gives your organization insights into strategies and techniques it should adopt and some it should maybe stay away from. Either way, it’s important to take stock of what your rivals are doing so you are in the know about where they may be headed as well.
Setting Targeted Goals
For a goal to be successful, it can’t just be “make more money than last year” or “keep our customers happy.” Vague goals like those almost always fail to produce results. Instead, consider implementing some SMART goals in the new year. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.(3) By keeping these parameters around a goal, you ensure there are ways to achieve the goal and track its progress along the way.
Once you’ve set these goals, prepare a physical and tangible way to display them. Large posters for the office or graphical progress markers can be a great way for the entire team to track these goals. This gives everyone in your process incentive to hit the provided metrics and encouragement when they see positive headway is being made on the established goals. Plus, it helps create both teamwork and friendly competition to keep moving the needle and pushing toward success.
The Takeaway
The numbers continue to prove that recognition is extremely important. Showing appreciation benefits both the recipient in terms of elevated self-esteem and receiving a reward for hard work, as well as the giver, who in turn receives a higher likelihood of retention and loyalty. Recognition and appreciation are cornerstones of a healthy workplace and it’s vital to acknowledge everyone you value.
Contact us today to set up a call with a dedicated member of our team who will assist you in finding effective ways to show recognition for your employees, clients, and prospects that cultivate a flourishing work environment and meaningful partnerships.