Making New Year’s Resolutions that Stick

When the ball drops and the champagne pops, nearly everyone is ready to conquer their New Year’s resolutions.  But the truth is that many resolutions won’t be conquered, and the same resolution will likely be repeated again and again in the coming years.  That is not to say that most of us don’t give it our best efforts; gym memberships go up and renewed and refreshed energy is at an all-time high at the start of the year, and there is no doubt that in many cases the effort is there.  Achieving resolutions is more about setting a plan rather than simply setting a goal; this goes for your individual goals, as well as those you set for your business and team.  To get you headed in the right direction and planning for resolutions that “stick”, here are a few areas to address:

Accountability – It’s easy to say that you will achieve something, but if you and your team are not held accountable then you can consider them empty promises.  Accountability goes far beyond a simple team check-in or status report; accountability must be measured, and you should have a system for monitoring stages and progress.  For example, if you have a department with new sales goals this year, that department should have measurable goals by month or quarter, a system for reporting progress regularly and points for intervention should they appear to be below or off course.

Milestones – Great success is not attained overnight, and a step-by-step approach can assist with providing a clear and realistic track for conquering resolutions.  Such steps should be marked by milestones that can be reached throughout the year.  For example: If you are launching a new product or line of service, you will want to set up milestones covering the development, patent (if applicable), marketing and launch of the product/service with details of actions and estimated dates for completion.

Assignment – While this may be assumed with accountability, assignment of goals and/or stages is vital to your success.  Every milestone and every action must be assigned to an individual.  While he/she may have others (including subcontractors) working on the same project, overseeing the project and holding players accountable must be the responsibility of a specific team member.  Unassigned actions usually get pushed to the side and become unachieved actions quickly.

Support – In order to reach a goal, or in this case a resolution, you will need to identify systems or methods for support.  For example, if it is in your business goals to gain more leads and prospects in 2018, then you will need to identify sources for those leads (i.e. networking events, HBW permit reports, expos).  Support and resources should be listed and easily accessible so that every team member has what he/she needs to reach the next milestone.

New Year’s resolutions are not just a chance for us to challenge ourselves as individuals – they are a chance to grow and strengthen our businesses too.  By laying out a strategy and plan and holding team members accountable for their assigned roles and actions, you will clear the path for reaching your goals and resolutions.

Best wishes for a successful and Happy New Year!

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