Guess what? 2016 is coming! And, with it, a feeling that it’s time to make a fresh start. If you’ve got “new” on your mind, but don’t know quite what to focus on, here are my best ideas to get you going!
Revive Your Surroundings. Look around your workspace. There’s a pretty good chance that you could spiff it up. That banana-flavored Tootsie Pop from Halloween? If you haven’t eaten it yet, you probably won’t. That dog-eared notepad with one page left in it? Time to recycle (and upgrade). From what’s on your walls, what’s in your desk caddy, and what you’re sitting on, it’s time to shake it up a little. The new year is the perfect time to create an environment with fresh stimuli—and also to check your ergonomics. For starters, if you’re at a desk, ideally your chair should be positioned so that your elbows rest at a 90-degree angle. And, the top of your computer monitor should be just below eye level. Read more about optimizing your workspace here.
Restock Your Greeting Cards. You know what’s inefficient? Running to the store every time there’s a Birthday or Anniversary on your team. Being unprepared like this also opens you up for the possibility of being late or forgetting altogether. Considering that celebrating these big days really does matter to your employees, taking a little bit of time up front can be the difference between “Aw, thanks!” and “Aw, shucks.” Ordering an assortment of both Birthday Cards and Anniversary Cards will take care of the first part, but you also need to get those dates on your calendar. Whether it’s online, on your smartphone, on your desk, or on your wall, whichever tool you use to track your tasks is the place to enter those important days. And, by all means, set reminders!
Reevaluate Your Goals. Early January is traditionally a time when companies and departments establish goals for the year. Before you get started, take a moment to reflect. Did you achieve last year’s goals? If you didn’t, should you automatically put those back in the mix, or dig deeper into why you didn’t accomplish them? Now is as much of a time of looking into the future as it is to pause and contemplate. And, to consider what you could do differently. Whatever your goals are—new or recycled—invest in their success by giving them adequate resources, thorough exploration, and realistic benchmarks.
Resolve to Improve as a Team. Company-wide goals are important, but they can often be nebulous to those on the ground. To ensure your team feels connected to their work and how it contributes to the organization, you might want to decide on your own goals as a group. Poll your team to learn what they feel could make the biggest impact in the coming months. Then, get together and determine which one objective you want to pursue—in three months, six months, or over the entire year. Make sure to set milestones and check in on your progress. As you do, be sure to celebrate your small wins or explore what you need to do to achieve the next one.
Rethink. How’s your employee recognition program holding up? Did you have to get out the Pledge and polish the dust off? It might be time for a change! Maybe you’ve been using a specific Baudville theme. If so, you probably chose it because it resonates with your core values, goals, or mission statement. The good news is, there are plenty more where that came one from. Use our Theme Finder to discover new messages and fresh designs that will still have the results you want, but with an up-to-date feel. If you’re using one of our tools, it might be time for a hammer instead of a wrench. Browse our Recognition Programs to see what’s new or different to try this year.Change is a great way to stimulate and energize your team—especially at a time when everyone has rebooting on their minds. Get started today!
Allison is currently living out the elaborate fantasy she described to her now-former staff and colleagues in early 2001. With a hearty dose of courage and absolutely no plan of action, she abruptly left her middle-management job to become a writer—and today she is doing just that in her role as Baudville's Senior Content Writer. She's here to tell you everything she's learned in her 20-years+ professional life, plus a lot more. She's wordy like that!
