The beginning of a new year is an excellent time to turn a new leaf in the workplace and give your company goals a clean slate. There’s something about the date January 1st that rejuvenates people and boosts morale. Riding on that momentum and capitalising on your team’s enthusiasm can help position you for a productive New Year.
Here are 4 steps to follow to make the most of your New Year workplace goals:
Look Back
A New Year means reflecting on what we leave behind us. This practice shouldn’t be reserved for only personal resolutions. It’s important for companies to look back on the passing year as well. More specifically, it’s important to gather feedback from employees about what the company achieved, what targets weren’t reached, what the company’s strengths are, and where the focus needs to be placed for areas of improvement.
What were the biggest goals for your company in the past year? What were the positives and negatives in trying to achieve those goals? What strategies worked best? Which ones weren’t a fit for your team? Engage in an insightful discussion with your team to gather their input as well as their ideas and recommendations for taking the company to the next level in the New Year.
Don’t forget your individual employee reviews as well. The end of the year or the start of a new one are both excellent times to meet with your team members one by one to provide them with feedback on their performance (as well as ask for their feedback for you). During such reviews, you can ask if they had goals for the past year, whether or not they achieved them, and what roadblocks or problems they faced for any targets that weren’t met. It’s a great way to start the New Year on the right foot and equip your employees with the tools and resources they need to succeed.
Plan Ahead
Once you’ve reflected on the year behind, it’s time to map out what you’d like to achieve in the New Year. Again, involve your team in the process so that everyone feels as if they’re contributing to the big picture. When employees are made to feel as if they’re input matters, they develop a sense of ownership over the company’s goals, which boosts productivity and morale. And higher morale often leads to better workplace satisfaction and a better quality of work output.
Questions to ask in these vision-casting meetings include: What wasn’t achieved in the past year? How might you be able to achieve it this year? What processes and systems need to be updated and/or improved for the team to better excel? Are there any new projects in the pipeline for the company (i.e. a re-branding, new IT systems, an extensive marketing campaign, etc.)? How can the company do better? What are ideas team members might have for up-leveling the company?
Stay Organised
Organisation is key in ensuring your team is on track to achieve its goals. A universal spreadsheet is an excellent workplace tool that can be utilised to keep everyone on the same page. Or you might consider a robust program like Asana, which can help you keep track of which teams members are handling which jobs, projects, or tasks at any given time.
But don’t rely solely on technology—regular, face-to-face check-in’s are still a good practice. This allows you to ensure everyone is on track with their tasks but also provides an opportunity for employees to request assistance or additional resources if they have questions or are experiencing challenges with their project.
Review Regularly
Throughout the year, especially in the first 90 days, regularly review your company goals together with your team. Are you on track to meet your goals? If not, how can you remedy that? Have any goals changed? If so, what adjustments need to be made to keep the company on track?
From time to time, you might even bring in experts to review your goals with your team and provide helpful strategies that can equip them with new skills, boost morale, heighten their productivity, and/or assist them with project management.
Goal-setting is one of the most important aspects of leadership and team management. Goals are what give your team something to work toward and focus on. When done effectively, they can make for a positive and productive workplace where team members feel like they’re truly contributing to the company.
What goals will your team set for the New Year?