Personal Goals for 2011

Last week we took the time to reflect on 2010 – the blogs, what you learned, your strengths & weaknesses. Now it’s time to consider what you wish to accomplish in 2011. Once you identify your goals – those things you want to change/improve – use this blog to solidify your strengths, to turn your weaknesses into strengths, and acquire new skills.

You obviously read this blog for a reason. I’ll venture out to guess that ongoing learning is part of your reason for being here. I look forward to the new year and journey ahead and hope that you get as much from reading these blogs as I get from writing them.

Year In Review – A Personal Reflection

This year’s blog posts discussed a variety of topics – from management style and inspiring leadership, to motivating and coaching others for success. Take some time to reflect upon what has been addressed here. What did you learn? What did you take away from reading this blog? Have you implemented any of the suggestions? Assess your current skills and consider your strengths and weaknesses. Do you truly consider yourself a leader/manager or is what you do on a daily basis strictly management? As you move forward with this personal reflection, prepare for learning and personal growth in 2011.

What’s their motivation?

An effective leader absolutely must be able to motivate his people. This seems like such a basic concept, but things that I’ve witnessed time and again remind me of just how many managers simply don’t seem to understand this. While people are at work for a paycheck, there has to be there more to it. Yes, the very basic agreement between a company and its employees is that work is performed in exchange for compensation. However, stopping there will severely limit your success potential. Employees need to feel valued and appreciated.

Do you make sure that your employees feel valued and appreciated? How do you do that? It doesn’t have to be costly or complicated. Recognizing people’s hard work can be as simple as a handshake and a “thank you” or as formal as a plaque presented in front of the whole company. It can be as inexpensive as a pair of movie tickets or as fancy as a cruise. How much would it cost to buy bagels or pizza for your department as a sign of your appreciation for their efforts? Now compare that with how it would make your employees feel.

This is very simple – a happy employee (and a motivated employee) is a more productive employee and more loyal employee. It’s completely within your power as the manager/leader to help improve the experience that your employees have at work. So put on your thinking cap and implement some simple ideas that will help you to motivate others.

Turning Difficult Times Into Leadership Opportunities

Despite the promises of newly created jobs, this recession is continuing to take its toll on employers and employees alike. Jobs are scarce, resources stretched, and people stressed. Put together, this list of ingredients presents a potential for an unpalatable recipe. A good leader/manager, however, will see these circumstances as an opportunity to practice good people (and resource) management. Lets assume that you already understand (either through common sense or by reading this Blog) the importance of inspiring your employees, helping them to feel valued and appreciated, supporting them, and helping them to find meaning in their experience with the company. Although no small feat, these things should be part of your everyday leadership/management practice.

Difficult times present the perfect opportunity for us to practice good leadership/management skills, and to show our respect and appreciation for others. Don’t let stress and limited resources become excuses for poor manners. Don’t ignore coaching and developing your people. What you do now will determine whether you’re able to keep great employees. Once the current economic situation improves (and it will), and people feel more comfortable making moves (and they will), it’s very likely that some of these stressed, unhappy souls will consider making serious changes. Remember that employees are a resource. Don’t risk losing them. As a great leader/manager, you can avoid the costly and time-consuming process of finding, hiring, and training replacements. Take the necessary steps now to ensure that as your company emerges from this recession, it does so with the stability and strength of valuable resources.