Ready. Steady. Set… your work culture for the New Year

Ready, Steady, Set... your work culture for the new year.

Starting a new year brings the promise of renewal, of better, of leaving behind the old ways, the old problems, and starting afresh. Everything will be better next year. Bring it on!

Except, that doesn’t happen by sheer magic. We need to do something about it, right?

When it comes to your goals and vision for the year, if your team culture is not great, it doesn’t take long before all that vision and those goals get swept up to the side to make room for putting out culture fires.

Unless…you internationally reset your culture and step into the new year with new team energy. A client told me this week that they have annual reviews coming up in January but have not yet finalised their values, nor agreed on behaviours with their teams so were unsure how to make these useful. Don’t let that be you.

Team culture is probably the no. 1 issue a leader struggles with when they call me in to work with their team. So much of an organisation’s success is driven by work culture. It’s not too late to set yours up for the next 12 months. All you need is to put some time aside, get together, and get resetting.

Set your GPS

As with anything, you can’t get where you want to unless you know where that is. Now is the perfect time to discuss the values and behaviours that guide your team or company and establish a Team Charter.

And by the way, if you’ve never done this before, this is the founding stone for building a strong work culture. And it’s never too late. Get in touch if you want to talk about how to do this or would like me to facilitate a workshop in the new year.

Ask yourself: How do we want to feel?

When I work with teams on defining their vision I ask the team to think about not just what will we achieve but also how will it feel?

  • How do we want everyone to feel as they step into the office in the new year?
  • How do they want to feel at the end of the year?
  • And what will their family and friends be saying about them at the end of the year? If the people who know and love you are saying they’ve barely seen you, you look tired, you need a break … then perhaps you need to rethink what is possible in the year
  • What can we all do to create that environment?
  • What commitments can we make today, to create a better, more fulfilling workplace?

Close the gaps

There is never a better time to take stock of what went well and where you could have done better as a team, and as a leader. As the leader, you’re the first person everyone looks up to for defining and driving your work culture. Open yourself up to constructive feedback, and lead the way to a culture where improving processes and learning to do better is the norm.

Invite everyone to do the same and reflect on their own areas of improvement, as a team, and as individuals integral to the work culture you’re trying to build

Celebrate

2023 is a success if you frame it as such. Find the little and big things worth celebrating, legitimate wins, but also lessons. How are you all stepping out of this year better off, as individuals and as a team?

Put these three items on the agenda, ask yourselves these questions, and your clear culture plan will emerge.

No one wants to attend another meeting in December, but I promise you this could be the one that rejuvenates your entire team. I wish I was there, in the meeting room with you all, as you create a plan for building the work culture that supports your goals as a company, but also as individuals.

Oh, and do let me know how you go.

Juliet

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