Anyone else notice this year kicked off like 2020’s hangover? As the first quarter comes to a close, we realize it will take a lot more than coffee and aspirin to cure this. Even though there seems to be a bit more momentum than this time last year, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s brewing. As a result, many businesses are struggling with a lot of false starts.
There’s a general malaise covering us all as we trudge through this first quarter. Many employees report feeling disconnected and stressed, because the lines between work and home are blurring. Team members are navigating the starts and stops of contact-related quarantines and people are still feeling behind and overwhelmed. These issues directly impact workplace momentum and begin to affect everything, so what can organizations do?
Begin With Alignment
It’s reported that only 14% of employees understand their company’s strategy and direction. That is a sobering statistic for business owners. How can an organization reach their goals if those responsible for execution don’t know what the goals are?
- Create a structure and timeline that allows for regular goal check-ins
- Teams illustrate how their current activities will impact the organization
- Prioritize actions monthly based on what is actually happening
- Accommodate the false-starts and manage expectations
Just Keep Swimming
Take small steps to gain momentum and keep the ball rolling. Like every big endeavor, it is most successful to start with the smallest item and start working toward the larger goal.
- Enthusiasm is contagious and sometimes a small win is needed.
- Celebrate the victory of completion.
- Redefine what’s next and point out the benchmarks in reaching the larger goal.
Invest in Human Capital Development
According to a Forbes article, entitled, “What an Employee wants,” A Patriot’s survey noted, “a lack of employee development was the top reason for disengagement and turnover (29.7%).
- Leadership Development – Provide professional assessments, coaching, and training that focuses on each individual leader’s ability to cast a vision, align the talent within their teams and execute organizational plans.
- Team Development – Engage and connect employees to improve team interactions, internal communication and develop a successful structure for achieving goals.
- Individual Coaching – Offer leaders and professionals a fresh perspective to step back from the day-to-day and focus on individual responsibility, accountability, communication and goal attainment.
Making small investments now to reinforce your workforce will help kick-start and maintain momentum through this unpredictable season. Mind Your Biz deploys development strategies that help people get out of their own way and engage them in the bigger picture. What would it mean for your organization if team members took personal responsibility for their activities, aligned their goals with organizational goals, and gained momentum in a year when so many people are hitting false starts? We are here to help!