It is only natural to come to the end of the year and look back at what was, often with a mix of pride, joy, exhaustion and a big ‘thank goodness 2019 is done’. Reflection is needed, but we sometimes miss the chance to look forward to see what we can build into the new year from day 1.
Here are a few questions and reflection points to get the cogs turning for 2020.
Is your team connected to your company values?
Did you know that only 23% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they can apply their organisations values to the work everyday (Gallup).
Or that 90% of companies never operationalise their company values (Dare to Lead, Brene Brown).
Yet, these are the driver of our company culture, they support the mission of the company and dictate staff behaviour on the daily. Ask your team if they know what your company values are, ask them what they mean to them and ask them how they have an impact on their day to day.
What do you need to learn individually and as a team?
Things are moving at rapid speed. Market trends, technology, automation. Truth be told, I am confused if dabbing is still a thing. What does your team need to keep learning so they can adapt to the changes that will keep coming in 2020? Some suggestions of skills that will remain relevant, if not more important:
- Leadership
- Effective teamwork
- Emotional intelligence
- Working with ambiguity
- Creative problem solving
- Communication and conflict resolution
How is the trust in your team?
This 2-minute YouTube video by Simon Sinek caught our attention. We’ve heard from social researchers, marketing gurus and our clients that trust is becoming the highest commodity in our society. That makes so much sense in outward facing engagement with clients, partners and company messaging. But what about within your team? If trust is compromised within your team then performance can take a dramatic downturn.
Trust can be built through social connection, emotional intelligence and increased awareness. All of this needs to be worked on in the day to day, but sometimes using a directed session as a circuit breaker can be a great opportunity to reset expectations, increase learning and create social connections by simply ‘doing non work stuff’ together. We encourage you to think about how this looks for your team in 2020.
What traditions can you establish?
As humans we are creatures of habit. It is worth asking the question about what you can do on the regular to increase the team connection and culture. There is no one size fits all approach here, each team is different. Ask your team what they would like to build into the workflow.
Suggestions as a starting point:
- Team huddle. Check out our blog on how we get everyone there!
- Monthly round up
- Yearly team retreat or day
- Music Monday
- Casual Friday (or what we like to call Flanno Friday)
2020 feels good. We are excited.
You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.
Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich)