New Year’s Resolutions in the Workplace
We all tend to think of resolutions as something personal, such as “saving more money”, “reading more”, or the most common and most notorious one – “exercising with the goal to lose weight”. While setting personal goals is not only admirable, it’s healthy. However, it is not the only way in which we can improve our lives and situations. Why not bring them into the workplace as well?
New Year’s resolutions in the workplace are a great way to unite a team and foster a more cohesive vision of what is most important in both the short and long term. They can assist in prioritization and provide a framework within which to think about your vision for your role, the culture you would like, or your next large project.
We can implement resolutions in various ways – at the personal level (but still within the context of work), at a team level, or at the highest level in the form of a strategic plan. Your resolution could even encompass all three. Whichever you choose will often depend on your organization’s size and your specific circumstances.
We must take care to recognize the explicit difference between a goal and a resolution as they are not the same thing. Goals read more like, “increasing sales by X%” or “researching and purchasing a more efficient software package” by the end of the month. Resolutions are something completely different. They read differently and have a larger feel. They may or may not be clearly measurable. Here are a few examples:
- Improving communication with clients
- Supporting work/life balance for employees
- Taking time to celebrate successes (even small ones)
- Integrating uninterrupted time for wellness into the workday (even 20 minutes per day)
It all sounds so easy. However, once you have established your resolutions making sure you actually stay on track is the challenge for everyone. Life and its daily mundane tasks can ultimately get in the way. Starting with small changes is the key to making sure you are making progress which will can eventually develop into habit. If you’re team’s resolution is to improve communication, ask that everyone send quick updates periodically, which should ultimately become second nature. Creating time for these things to occur is pivotal in their success. We cannot take the time to get up from our desks to move if back-to-back meetings are scheduled. Approaching these team resolutions with a bit of lighthearted fun goes such a long way.
One of the things to keep in mind about workplace resolutions is they should not be intimidating. They are not short term goals but rather something we are shooting for in the distance. We are simply resolving to change a small thing right now which will hopefully lead to great changes in the future. Buying the gym membership is a start but we have to go and put in the work to see our desired results; we already know this on a personal level yet applying this to the workplace may seem more cumbersome. It doesn’t have to be. It’s a type of progress that occurs in small increments daily so don’t place to much worry on the future, just focus on the changes you can make right now.
About Kennedy Executive
Kennedy Executive Search & Consulting is a global partner network of retained search boutiques in Europe, Africa, North America and Asia Pacific with offices in Amsterdam, Budapest, Copenhagen, Denver, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, London, Milan, Monaco, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Sydney, Vienna and Washington. The network covers 360 degrees of talent management: executive search finds and assesses the right talent in the market, consulting develops people and organizations. Kennedy is active on 4 continents with 15 offices in 14 countries and offers a global reach. Between the 75+ consultants and researchers, 30 languages are spoken. As a network Kennedy will run 365 strategic recruitments all over the world this year. Kennedy Executive Search & Consulting helps organizations to achieve their goals and people to enhance their careers every day.
Contact
Mark Burkley
Integrated People Solutions
mark@ipeoplesolutions.com
+1 44 303-827-9438
Integrated People Solutions is an executive placement firm in Denver, Colorado, and is part of the Kennedy Executive Network
About Kennedy Executive
Kennedy Executive Search & Consulting is a global partner network of retained search boutiques in Europe, Africa, North America and Asia Pacific with offices in Amsterdam, Budapest, Copenhagen, Denver, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, London, Milan, Monaco, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Sydney and Vienna. The network covers 360 degrees of talent management: executive search finds and assesses the right talent in the market, consulting develops people and organizations. With the addition of Evolve South Africa, Kennedy is now active on 4 continents and in 14 countries and offers a global reach. Between the 75+ consultants and researchers, 30 languages are spoken. As a network Kennedy will run 365 strategic recruitments all over the world this year. Kennedy Executive Search & Consulting helps organizations to achieve their goals and people to enhance their careers every day.
