It’s a new year which means, you guessed it, …resolutions! While many individuals make the general resolutions every year like lose 10 pounds, be more proactive, stop binge-watching Netflix, (Let’s be honest, you won’t keep that one), what about your career? Growing and improving as an employee is not only beneficial to you but to the company you work for, as well. So say you have made a fantastic and realistic resolution to be a better manager and showcase your leadership skills. Well, statistics show 75% of us make it through the first week, but by the end of the month, only 64% of us are still going with our resolution. So as the end of January draws closer, here’s how you can beat those odds:
The Resolution:
“I resolve to showcase better management and leadership skills at work.”
Why You Made It:
While not everyone is a leader or wants to be one in the workplace, it is still important to have some of the skills that many leaders possess. Whether you’re a project manager, department head, or just an expert in your area, it’s important to be able to convey to others what you want or how something is to be done when a task arises.
Leadership continues to be a top concern for organizations when it comes to development in their employees as 41% said they recognize the importance of defining leadership requirements, but 71% said their leaders are not ready to lead their organization into the future. So where’s the disconnect? Although, many might agree that it should be the organization’s responsibility to indicate what is required for individuals in leadership positions, it is still up to the employee to initially show that they are up for the task of leading.
How to Keep It:
As any type of leader knows, communication is key to getting tasked finished in a timely manner and producing quality work in the process. Sometimes communicating can be the problem, though. Many people work in different ways and each person prefers different forms of communication or rather no communication at all. It just depends on the person. You can clear this obstacle as a leader, though, by finding more out about the individuals you work with. Implement an evaluation they can fill out to better understand the way they like to work.
When it comes to communication, sometimes it can be a task to make sure you’re checking in throughout the day, week or even the quarter. You can set reminders for yourself to regularly check in with team members to make sure things are going smoothly for them. If team members don’t respond to an email or a post in the internal company system, take the initiative and walk over to their desk. They’ll appreciate you taking time out of your day to check in and it will show your bosses how dedicated you are to the team and the work being produced.
Tools to help:
Personality Assessments: When it comes to using the best communication practices and learning about the way your team works, you can use personality assessments like Vitru to see which work values team members rank highest for and you can also compare your own.
Project Management Systems: Using internal company systems like Bitrix can help you to set tasks for yourself to check in and make firm deadlines for your team. You can also create workgroups for specific projects to keep instructions and tips for the team.
Your mouth: If you’ve used all other types of efforts to better communicate with the team, it might be time to get up and walk across the office to the desk. There’s nothing like a little face-to-face time to help clear up any blocks in communication. Remote worker? Skype or call via google video or (gasp!) a landline. There are so many communication issues that can be figured out by just chatting it through.
What resolutions are you making this year in your professional life? Let us know in the comments!
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