It’s that time of year, when we reflect upon the ways we want to improve ourselves. Gym memberships will soar and potato chips sales will momentarily plummet. Personal resolutions seem to be easier to define, but in order to continue to grow professionally; we need resolutions for that corner of our lives as well. 

I Resolve To…

Reflect on Communication Skills and Mediums

There is always room for improvement here. With workplace communications, the goal should always be to make whatever it is that you and your team are working on, easier. Poor communication can often be owed to poor organization. Using an intranet with social capabilities has really helped a lot of organizations get on the same page with one medium for communication.

Get Rid of Policies for Policy’s Sake

Are there outdated policies or practices lingering around your organization? Get rid of them. Always ask the “why”; if there really isn’t one, consider doing things differently. Archaicbusiness traditions must go, in order to move forward efficiently. You shouldn’t be doing things a certain way simply because that’s always how they’ve been done.

Get Better About Work Flex Options

This is happening whether you like it or not. Regardless of the many benefits of telecommuting, there are many organizations that are having a hard time embracing this here-to-stay business trend. Micro-managers in particular have a hard time granting this level of freedom and autonomy to their workforce. Consider starting small with just one day a week. It will either work out or it won’t.

Solicit Feedback…For Real

You will never know what can be improved upon at work if you don’t get feedback or criticisms. And those won’t usually come without an invitation. If you want to hear opinions about your processes and work, ask for them and use that information to improve.

Do Something About Performance Reviews

Performance reviews have gotten a bad rap. Employees and supervisors alike dread reviews and mostly consider them a waste of resources. If they are actually a waste of time, then you’re doing it wrong.

Revisit Goals, Mission and Values

These don’t stay the same, or at least they shouldn’t. Goals especially need to be revisited frequently. Companies have long and short-term aspirations that need to be reflected in theirgoals, values and mission. Those short-term aspirations will be continuously changing, and that should be reflected.

Figure Out How to Make Meetings Less of a Waste of Time

Of the 62 meetings that an average employee attends in a month, half of the time spent in those meetings is considered wasted. That’s a whole lot of time, and as we all know, time is money. Meetings should be a tool to increase productivity and facilitate cohesion, but with the wrong leadership, they can end up being quite damaging to the success of the company.

Last, but definitely not least…

Make Work a Better Place to Be

The worst feeling in the world is scraping ice off of a cold car to get somewhere that you don’t even want to be. Well, maybe not the worst, but it’s pretty darn lame. Start with the employee in the mirror (we’re allowed to be cheesy, it’s the holidays). Making work a better place for others creates a movement, and co-workers will reciprocate.

It starts with the small things: a thank you note, making everyone cocoa, or doling out simple compliments as a way to show gratitude. We have to be there and we have to be there for a considerable amount of our adult lives. Why not make it the best place it can be?

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