Happy New Goals! Refresh Yourself and Your Workforce in the New Year or Anytime

EDITOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Alison Bruns for writing today's blog post. You can connect with her on LinkedIn. 

Whether you're a doctor, nurse, EMT, IT specialist, hospital administrator, tech company CEO, etc. etc. etc., it's crucial to take some regular time out to reflect on your career performance and focus on your goals for the future. But, New Years resolutions can tend to get lost under the pile of your other to-dos. So how can you help yourself and your team stick to your new goals? For one, you can eliminate the obstacles of ‘falling off the wagon’ by engaging your team in the practice and holding each other accountable for the goals you make. Also key is to consistently document the progress of the goals you make for yourself both personally and professionally. 

In early 2017, take advantage of the New Years resolutions concept to freshen up your professional and personal goals, and help your employees do the same! Set some expectations for yourself as both an employee and as a manager. Then share these goals, or at least the process you followed for outlining them, with the rest of your team. Making this a part of your professional practice will not only benefit the direct parties involved, but will have a positive rippling effect on the entire organization.

If you’re a manager, make this goal setting time fun yet meaningful by asking your employees to make one or a few goals for themselves this quarter or this year. Maybe even take them for a departmental off-site meeting to discuss some broader goals for your team and organization without the pressures and distractions that can come with the workplace atmosphere. Document the goals they come up with, and follow up during your 1x1s and departmental meetings. If you are new to this concept, ask them to set a goal for themselves professionally, like continuing education, specific networking, or trade shows they’d like to attend. Ask them also to set a goal that will benefit the organization internally, whether it be something interpersonal, communication-oriented or tackling a process or project that needs refreshing.

Lead by example and share your own goals with your team. Let them know your plan for how you will make progress towards accomplishing those goals as well as in what ways you need their help in keeping on track with them.

Employees want to know that you care about them as successful individuals, as well as a part of your successful team. When employees feel appreciated and recognized, they are more likely to want to reciprocate the effort into their productivity and potential at work.

Toward the end of the quarter or year, let your organization know, at a high level, what you and your team accomplished through this fun but effective strategy. You never know who else you might inspire to set better goals! 

This strategy can be used anytime, not just at the start of the New Year. If you are feeling like you or your workforce needs a “refresher,” just wash, rinse, and repeat. After all, rockstars like you don't need a new year to set new goals!