Strategic Steps to Start 2024 Strong

Uh oh - My “I’ll deal with it in January” issues have caught up with me! 

As we embrace the fresh beginnings of the New Year, it's natural to feel a mix of excitement and, let's be honest, a bit of overwhelm. It's a time when we're bombarded with the idea of 'new year, new you', which, while inspiring, can also set off a pile of pressure, especially in our business lives.

Let’s identify the root cause of these feelings of being overwhelmed or ‘unreadiness’. In my experience, if you finished the previous year holding your breath as you counted down the days to get to your break, you probably haven't invested the time and energy it takes into your overall planning and workplace structure. Investing the time and energy into these areas, and the subsequent tracking of progress means that you have ongoing clarity of purpose and therefore, more successful outcomes and fewer surprises adding to that pesky to do list that seems to have taken over your life. 

5 simple questions to understand your current state of affairs

1. Do I have a clear set of SMART goals in place that are the guide to my daily decision-making? (Decision-making parameters for my next article, watch this space)

2. Have I designed my team structure to align directly with achieving these goals? 

3. Are my team aware of these goals and measures in place to ensure they are recognised for their positive contribution towards these? 

4. Have I got the operational infrastructure in place to support my goals? E.g. Clear processes and procedures, documented training resources, am I using the latest technology to help automate tasks where possible, etc.

5. Do I have a frequently scheduled review session to evaluate the above, make necessary adjustments, and pivot as required based on performance?

If you feel that you can’t clearly articulate an answer to the above, or the answer is simply ‘no’ to any of the questions. I would suggest dedicating the time to developing these as early into the new year as possible. This is the best way to avoid another year of feeling busy, burnt out, and potentially disillusioned. 

1. SMART Goals - It might sound simple, but that’s because it is! But it is a tried and true way to approach goal setting and keep yourself accountable.

Here is an easy template you can use to formulate your goals using this format:

2. TEAM STRUCTURE 

The focus here is to reflect on the people you have, the clarity of their roles, and how they align with your overall business objectives. A crucial part of your reflection needs to be on you: 

• Have you built a team that can’t survive a day without you? 

• Do results drop if you’re not around? 

• Do all questions end up in your pile? 

If this is the case, you have some work to do to decrease the reliance on you. Not only is this a considerable part of that feeling of dread and overwhelming feeling, but it will also inherently impede business growth and progress. 

Other questions to ask: 

• Have you got the right people in the right roles to achieve these goals?

• Do they have the ongoing training required to allow them to keep driving success both personally and as part of the team? 

• Are you missing key roles/skill sets? It may be time to hire a new team member or invest in developing an existing team member into their next role. 

• Have you got a straightforward performance measurement program with the team to evolve the parameters for continued growth? 

3. TEAM ENGAGEMENT 

There are a multitude of ways that you can collaborate and engage with your team so that they feel as much a part of the goal-setting and achievement as you do. The opportunities are endless in terms of how creative you wish to get. Overall, if the team feels that they belong and are part of something bigger, their productivity will increase.

• -Complete your goal-setting together 

• Set up a regular meeting to review progress 

• Recognition program attached to the achievement of said goals 

• Recognition of team development and training achievements 

4. OPERATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE 

Another area where some reflection time is needed. Are you doing things ‘the way they’ve always been done?’ Sometimes, the thought of change and the potential disruption to the team can be why people avoid it. I’m here to tell you that it is flawed and hinders your growth. Technology is moving SO fast; if you fail to educate yourself and embrace new, automated ways of doing things, you will be left behind. The best way to protect profit is to adapt internal processes to become more efficient. Still, more than that, it is a way of attracting top talent. If you can embrace continuous innovation and remain flexible in the ever-changing tech space, you are future-proofing yourself. 

5. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION 

Set up a regular cycle of review with yourself and your team. Directly review your performance against your set of goals. Be transparent and honest about what went well, what didn’t, and why. The outcome of these sessions needs to be a clear set of actions - What, who, when and how so that accountability is straightforward and can be measured. Celebrate the wins! Really make them count, and be as frank about the areas of opportunity or challenge as possible so that the whole team can continue to learn and grow together. 

The Elevation Collective is here to support you, if any of the above feels like something you want to focus on, with our helping hand then please reach out for a free 30 min chat. We would love to know more about your business! We have many free tools and resources that could help get you started, or we can partner with you and walk you through it step by step and set you up for a truly successful 2024!

Contact us today for a free consultation! info@theelevationcollective.com.au

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-set-smart-goals-new-month-mycareercollective/