It’s getting close to that time of year when we all start thinking about our own personal New Year’s resolutions.
Whether you’re thinking of joining the gym, more travel, or simply showing more gratitude for what you have, January is the perfect time for positive change.
But, while we often think about what we can do to better ourselves individually, have you ever made team New Year’s resolutions for your business?
It might sound a bit out of the box, but by thinking about what improvements can be made going forward, whether your team is working in the office, from home or doing a little bit of both, you can set yourself up for a successful 2023.
If positive resolutions sound like something that could be a good idea for your team, here’s what you need to do to set and achieve them.
Ask, ‘Is my team ready for this?’
Before taking on the challenge of setting a New Year’s resolution and working towards achieving the goal, you need to ask yourself and your team, are you all truly ready to make a change?
If not, what’s holding you back?
Lack of resources? How realistic the resolution is? Resistance to change or behaviour changes? No time?
Think about what’s a real barrier versus a perceived barrier.
Team ready? It’s time to plan
If your team is ready to set some New Year’s resolutions, it’s time to start planning!
Lock in a time for you and your team to identify the areas that either need a positive shift or would have a big impact if you did them more consistently. Then set resolutions relating to those.
Ideally, pick a time earlier in the week. Monday or Tuesday afternoons are gold for creative thinking! If you set them later in the week or just before your end-of-year celebrations, people might be a little less engaged.
Define success and accountability
Once you and your team have come up with your New Year’s resolutions, you can oil the wheels of success by doing two key things: defining success and making people accountable.
What is it you’re actively trying to realise? How will you know when you’ve achieved your resolution? Knowing this will help you get there.
Also, who are you and the team going to be accountable to if you don’t achieve your New Year’s resolutions? People tend to try harder when accountability and consequences are on the table.
Set smaller progress goals
We get it. Sometimes goals can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve set the bar high.
To overcome this mind block and boost motivation, try setting smaller progress goals or steps along the way to achieving the overall goal and resolution.
Celebrate your wins
One of the reasons individuals and teams fail in their New Year’s Resolutions is because they set one that may take a long while to be achieved.
So, as well as setting smaller progress goals, make sure you also celebrate when you reach those goals. This can give your team a lift and another motivation boost.
Celebrating could mean drinks, a team lunch, sharing your success around the company and on socials – or all three!
Need some resolution Inspiration?
Now we’ve covered the theory, here are some ideas and thought-starters that may help shape your team’s 2023 resolutions:
- When was the last time your organisation had an open conversation about wellbeing? A culture pulse check or workplace wellbeing survey will give you insights about the environment and culture of your workplace to ensure it’s the best place, both mentally and physically, for your employees.
- Try a profiling exercise, such as the Obstacles Quotient (QO2) Profile, which provides feedback on how an individual responds to new situations and change, solves problems, focuses on goals and how they view time.
- Do you have a newly created leadership team? Why not take them through the foundations of being a leader and set them up for success? Give them the tools and the knowledge to empower their teams through workshops on moving from team member to team leader, giving and receiving feedback, having difficult conversations, and managing performance, to name a few.
- Try a diagnostic tool to understand how best your teams can work together. The Team Management Profile (TMP) gives you insights into how you prefer to work and how you’re likely to interact with others in the workplace, enhancing team development.
- As Brené Brown said, “Clear is kind, unclear is unkind”. So kick off 2023 by deep diving into how teams interact with a short series on The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Learn about trust, healthy workplace conflict, team commitment, and accountability to achieve desired results.
Let success start with your team in 2023
Setting positive team New Year’s resolutions for your business really is a great way to set yourself up for success.
Think about ways you could improve, agree and decide on how to do better, and put your best foot (feet!) forward to make it happen. And don’t forget to celebrate when you make positive steps to achieving it.
