Set Leadership Goals for the New Year, by Jennifer H. Ledet, SPHR
January 29, 2009
Well, it’s that time again. The time of year when we all sit down and write out some New Year’s resolutions. Ugh!
This year, think in terms of your career. Why not plan to become a better leader in the coming year? Why not plot ways to make your organization more employee-friendly? Even if you’re not in a leadership position yet, you can commit to some of these goals that would enhance your potential for promotion.
• Reward/recognize employees. If you’re already recognizing employees, set yourself a goal to do so more often. Recognize employees for “going the extra mile”, for having a pleasant attitude toward work, or just for being dependable and reliable. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. A handwritten note or a sticky note on their desk or phone can go a long way!
• Commit to investing in your own professional development. Attend seminars, workshops, classes, online courses, etc. No matter what your industry, you need to stay up-to-date with current trends. And everybody can use a refresher on leadership and management skills from time to time.
• Commit to investing in your employees’ professional development. If your budget allows, provide opportunities for your employees to attend seminars, workshops, and classes. You may even opt to have workshops conducted in-house, which provides a great opportunity for employees to get together and network while they learn a new skill.
• Participate in industry and professional organizations and encourage your employees to join and get involved. Getting involved in industry and professional organizations offers employees the opportunity to broaden their perspective and may help them to generate more innovative ways for getting their job done.
• Read professional and personal development books. As an avid reader, my biggest problem is which book to read first. I believe that reading a wide variety of books will make you a well-rounded person and certainly a more knowledgeable and articulate leader. Set yourself a goal of reading a certain number of books per week/month/year.
• Ask for, and really listen to feedback from your employees. One of the top ten factors in determining employee satisfaction is the feeling that the employee is “in” on things. Often, employees have great ideas for improving productivity, innovative solutions to problems and a thorough understanding of operations. By asking for their input, you may not only be improving employee morale, you may just be improving your bottom line!
• Sit down with your employees and map out performance goals for them. My favorite quote on this subject comes from Yogi Berra, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there”. Anyway, you get my point: employees need to have some direction and certainly need to know what you expect of them.
So, what leadership goals have you set for the New Year? You know, success with any skill doesn’t happen by accident. You have to plan for it. Let me hear your plans for improvement. You may inspire others to reach higher!
To Your Success,
Jennifer
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