Learn how to manage, motivate and inspire your employees to achieve business success in the new year. As a business owner, the responsibility for the success of your company rests heavily on your shoulders, but the burden is not yours alone. You have hired highly skilled employees. They are your most essential assets and the foundation of your company's profitability and survival. You need to leverage their help and abilities to achieve success.
Therefore, one of the key questions to ask yourself, especially in the context of a severe economic downturn like the one we are experiencing today, is: “How can I make the most of my employees’ contributions to achieve the goals my company has set for itself?”
In addition to conducting semi-annual or annual reviews of your employees’ progress and performance, you should also meet with them face-to-face and encourage them to discuss their resolutions for the coming year. The purpose of this process is to encourage employees to reflect on their work practices and find ways to contribute as much as possible to the success of the business. And of course, the success of the business is their success.
Here are 10 New Year's resolutions, discussion topics, and suggestions you can give your employees to guide them toward higher levels of productivity.
1. Work quickly
Can you identify three things you would do to make your current job more productive and effective? For example, do your employees spend too much time on emails, answering the phone? Are they constantly interrupting their work? Sometimes the inefficiencies of these activities are not obvious. However, if they can identify them specifically, then these unnecessary activities can be eliminated and your employees will be more productive. And of course, this can also increase job satisfaction.
2. Strengthen the working network inside and outside the company
Can you encourage your employees to expand their network? You can meet more people, but don’t stop at just saying hello, find out what they do, how they do it, what skills they use to be productive? Ask yourself if you can interact with them and benefit from working together? Why not add their addresses to your contact list so that when you need to establish a relationship, when you need to consult or collaborate, this is your true reserve.
3. Find 3 things that can make you irreplaceable
Why should the company keep you? Why are you good at the job you are doing? Does your company know this? What else should the company know about you? During a layoff or termination, why should the company keep you while laying off others? If you cannot answer these questions during tough economic times, your name may be on the “black list” to leave the company.
4. Find ways to “live in harmony” with your boss and colleagues
Management is getting tighter. If your boss is not managing you the way you want, look for positive, better ways to change the situation. Why not share your perspective with him or her? Do you need more or less direction, supervision, freedom, responsibility, or authority? What could your coworkers do more or less or do differently to create a more positive work environment that meets the company’s goals? Speak up and make sure what you say is heard.
5. Join at least one company-wide organization
Do people outside your team or department know your abilities, interests, and expertise? Do you know what is happening in other areas of the company? Do you know the opportunities and challenges facing others in the company? Only by participating in the broader organization within the company can you not only gain a more comprehensive overview of issues and goals, but you also have the opportunity to challenge your own expertise, abilities, and understanding and increase your own influence within the organization.
6. Join a professional organization in your field
Your life and work will evolve and help you grow as a person. What have you done for yourself recently? Have you met like-minded colleagues who share some of your dreams, ambitions and goals? Don’t miss this important opportunity to learn more, hone your skills while increasing the breadth and depth of your professional network.
7. Do a self-improvement research paper
There are many techniques, tools and ideas that you need to know to always make yourself more important and irreplaceable. When are you motivated to think for yourself and achieve your career and future prospects? A research topic can be the good stimulus you need to re-energize yourself and increase your job satisfaction.
8. Develop 4 goals to help yourself grow and develop into a more high-achieving employee.
Work stagnation is the kiss of death in today’s corporate economy, with downsizing and downsizing occurring on a daily basis. So think carefully about what you can do to become a more productive employee, beyond doing a research project, debriefing, or joining a professional workgroup. Do you want to take on more responsibility at work? Organize or lead a special task force? Think about and improve a product, policy, or process? Create a monthly agenda with a meeting to discuss it with your boss.
9. Evaluate your contribution to the business
List 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses that are part of your overall improvement. Come up with different ways to improve all 6 strengths and weaknesses, including things you need to do that your supervisor or manager has asked you to do to help you move forward on the path to success.
10. Try to improve your relationship with at least one person you have difficulty being friendly with.
Come up with an idea, meet with him or her, and discuss the issues openly and tactfully. Remember that your goal as an employee is to do your best work, support your colleagues, and increase the productivity and efficiency of your company. A common obstacle to these tasks is difficult relationships with colleagues or bosses. How can you minimize these obstacles and move forward to success?
Davi G. Javitch
About the author: Davi G. avitch, Ph.D., is the editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur’s “People Management” column, an organizational psychologist, and president of Javitch Associates, an organizational consulting firm in Newton, Massachusetts. With over 20 years of executive experience in a variety of industries, he is an internationally recognized author, keynote speaker, and consultant on key leadership and management issues.
