It’s fantastic having holidays. For those lucky enough to enjoy a festive season break, taking time to rest, reconnect with the family and recharge is critical to work effectiveness.
But what about the ‘effective restart’ to the New Year? Reenergising a work focus can be very difficult for many folks.
In many companies it takes 2 or 3 months to get going .... by then the 1st quarter of the year is gone.
If you are behind budget, it sure is difficult to play catch-up. This puts stress on Managers and eventually the Executive and the Board.
Psychologically, similar to preparations for any race, establishing the right mind-set helps prepare the body for the activity.
A small amount of planning and thinking about the new business year now, will help build a level of enthusiasm to ensure business momentum is maintained.
Below are 11 points to consider.
1. Set a date in January for an obligatory new year ‘kick off’
2. Bring your team together as a ‘welcome back’
3. Acknowledge those that ‘held the fort’ while others were on leave
4. Remind the team of operational priorities for the 1st Qtr 2012
5. Review strategic plans to ensure key areas are ‘top of mind’
6. Identify likely industry trends as early as possible
7. Remind people of the company vision and values
8. Advise customers that all services are back on track
9. Introduce new starters to their colleagues
10. Highlight ‘sales’ activity to indicate gaps
11. Check social media activity of competitors – what’s the market saying?
If you have found any other activities that help put people in the right business mind set for the new year, I’d love to hear these and share with others.
Often, reminding key Managers of their responsibility to motivate and lead can also provide the necessary momentum. If you need help with facilitating this process ... give me a call.
Enjoy the run up to the festive season.
Warm regards
Colin
Colin Chodos is the founder of Corporate Connection Strategies (CCS), a consulting group that helps businesses connect with their stakeholders to deliver increased profits and growth.
His lead practice areas include Stakeholder Engagement, Change Management and Business Strategy Development. "I have assisted companies over the last 20 years to successfully achieve significant business outcomes".
Follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter or the CCS website for tips and advice for executive leaders of today.