As we usher into the New Year, it's natural to feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for what's to come. With new possibilities and excitement come the pressure to set and achieve meaningful goals for your team to focus on and strive for. Whether it's the unfinished project from last year, new business projects, or getting the house in order, we all have something we want to accomplish in the coming year. The key to making these goals a reality is to have a clear vision, motivation, and method.
There are three possibilities when you return to work after the new year holidays:
- You don't need to do anything because your leadership assume everything to be status quo from the previous year.
- Your leadership will meet with you one-on-one and ask you to think of performance goals to achieve for yourself.
- Your leadership get everyone together and plan for the new year. Everyone is involved (Note: This is quite rare from my observation).
If you aspire to be a leader or a leader now, please do the third one more. Your people need your direction and guidance for the next 12 months, even though you have unfinished projects or waiting for the top executive to figure out what to do next.
I heard you say we have a five-year plan and are tracking it. Still, it is worth the time to reflect if the last 12 months' progress is what your team and you are expecting. You can pivot or persevere now, given that nothing is constant in this business world, and your next 12 months aren't the same as the last 12 months.
Here is the three-step approach to planning the New Year with your team.
Step 1: Share your vision
You don't need to be a CEO to have a vision. As a leader for your team or business unit, you know where you want your team or business should land. The first step in planning for the New Year is establishing a clear mindset or vision for what you want to achieve for the team, the business and yourself.
This means taking the time to reflect on your values, passions, and priorities and identifying the areas of your life and career that you want to focus on. Ask the same from your team and the people you lead or manage.
Whether it's your career, company goals, relationships, health, or personal growth, it's essential to clearly understand what you want to achieve. Why it matters to you, your team and your business.
Look for shared vision and goals. You might be surprised at the result. Shared vision and goals will get you further.
Step 2: Motivation and Purpose
Once you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve as a team, the next step is to find the motivation and purpose to make it happen. This means identifying the specific benefits and rewards that will come from achieving your goals and using that as fuel to propel you forward. It also means understanding the deeper purpose behind the shared goals and how they align with your values, team and passions.
Some will gravitate towards a meaningful contribution to the greater good. Some will look upon tangible monetary rewards for their effort and assistance. To each their own.
How you do this is based on the level of trust you have in your team. Do you and your team feel you are operating in a psychologically safe space and safe environment to share values and passions?
Focus on benefits when you lack autonomy and control over financial compensation like pay raises or performance bonuses. Money is always a touchy subject with people. No one will admit they are overpaid relative to the market.
Think of benefits and rewards like time off, attending conferences, paid training, lunches, or team events. Better still, ask your team what they like to be rewarded or recognised for accomplishing the goals.
Step 3: Method to Deliver the Vision
Finally, the last step in planning for the new year is to develop a method to deliver your vision. This means breaking down your goals into smaller, manageable steps and creating a plan of action to achieve them. It also means setting specific deadlines and milestones and holding yourself and your team accountable. It also includes identifying potential obstacles and developing strategies to overcome them.
From observation, most leaders and people jump straight to Step 3 without considering Steps 1 and 2 above. You might be given business goals from higher up and asked to individually develop SMART goals for the next 12 months. Worst, you are given the SMART plans to adopt for the year.
This is a recipe for disaster. Why? These goals must be aligned with those tasked to carry out the activities. Next, assumptions are made by those removed from the activities and never checked for enabling conditions. Worst, you can't track or measure them at your level because they are so high-level.
I won't delve into the method because there are already tons of resources on how to deliver. The critical thing to reach the goals is not to miss Steps 1 and 2. As Abraham Lincoln said, "If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it."
Conclusion
In conclusion, planning for the New Year is an exciting yet challenging process. By establishing a clear mindset or vision, finding the motivation and purpose to do it, and developing a method to deliver the goal, you can set yourself and your team up for success in the coming year.
Remember, it's not about perfection. It's about progress. So, take the time to reflect on your goals with your team, and commit to taking action towards achieving them. Happy New Year!