Time for 2019 Resolutions

• January 18, 2019

“I think in terms of the day’s resolutions, not the years’.”  ~Henry Moore

As 2018 closes, you welcome 2019 with all the optimism to grow your business beyond from where it is right now. As the year begins to unfold, most New Year’s resolutions are already falling by the wayside. Now is the time, however, to get serious about the New Year’s resolutions that will make a difference in your business success.

The kinds of changes that will make your business more successful, enjoyable and sure can be made at any time, but there is a psychological impact to making formal resolutions at the beginning of the year.

Throughout the world, people use the first month of the New Year to announce their resolve that the rest of the year will be better than the year that just ended. That sense of optimism and opportunity provides a good start for implanting long-term changes or resolutions.

“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.” -Melody Beattie

Build in success by requiring everyone involved in the identification of New Year’s resolutions for your business follow these rules:

1. Formalize the resolutions by writing them out. Post the final resolutions on a prominent bulletin board, and distribute copies to all employees and members of management.

2. Assign responsibility for implementing each resolution. Select a date for reporting results for each resolution, including an ongoing report during the year, if possible.

3. Identify a benefit to the business for each resolution. When possible, set a realistic benefit goal in quantifiable terms, such as percent, numbers or dollars.

4. Identify a potential benefit to employees for each resolution. Give as much thought as necessary to providing recognition and rewards for employees who assist with implanting the resolutions.

5. Affirm management’s commitment to making the changes by providing sufficient support for each resolution.

“And now we welcome the New Year. Full of things that have never been.” -Rainer Maria Rilke

With these expectations in effect, invite all employees and members of management to make one or more suggestions for making business better, bigger, more efficient, more profitable, more satisfying- whatever improvement that each individual’s unique perspective can identify. The specific areas – employee retention, recapturing customers, waste reduction, improve public relations. This may include an upside down corporate pyramid where management empowers and supports employees. Be careful not to inhibit the identification of other areas that may be invisible to management but potentially significant to company success.

From the participants, form a committee representing all groups within the company to review the suggested improvements and to prioritize those changes according to criteria that is relevant to the business. Top management can then select the top five or 10 suggestions that will become the formal New Year’s business resolutions for the year.

Limiting the number of resolutions tends to focus attention and minimize the likelihood of having these meaningful areas that need attention fall by the wayside along with so many other well intentional but short-lived New Year’s resolutions. With individualized resolutions in place your business can look forward to a full year of improvements.