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Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:
Lean
Tip #1786 - Review your 2017 Goals and Objectives.
Before
you start thinking about 2018, you should think about how 2017 went for you.
When we look back on the previous year, we can see areas we succeeded in and
areas that need to be worked on in the new year.
Think
about the goals you reached, the successes you had, the struggles you
encountered, and more. Then, think about what you wish you could have done
better and the areas you struggled with.
By
completing this step, you'll be able to better figure out what you need to do
in 2018 in order to have a successful year.
Lean
Tip #1787 - Make Sure Your 2018 Goals are SMART.
You
should always make sure that any goal you set for 2018 is SMART.
A
SMART goal is:
Specific
– What is your goal? Is it specific enough or is it too broad? What needs to be
done for you to achieve your goal? Why do you want to reach your goal?
Measurable
– How can you measure your progress? How will you know if you’re on track?
Attainable
– Can your goal actually be achieved?
Realistic/relevant
– Can you achieve your goal? Is the goal worth it?
Time
– What’s your time frame for reaching your goal?
This
is extremely important when setting 2018 goals because by doing this, you are
ensuring that your goals are realistic and attainable.
Lean
Tip #1788 - Write Down Your 2018 Goals and Objectives.
Writing
down your business and personal goals for 2018 is a very important part goal
setting.
Completing
this step can help you remember your goal and why you want to achieve it. If I
don’t write something down or have it in front of me on a regular basis, I tend
to forget about it.
If
you can’t remember your 2018 goals, it would be very hard to achieve them. I
suggest that you think about:
·
Making
a vision board.
·
Putting
post-its around your home that list your yearly goals.
·
Placing
reminders on your phone, calendar, or whatever else you use for your to-do
list.
Lean
Tip #1789 - Create a Plan to Reach Your 2018 Goals.
If
you want to stay motivated with your goals, then one of the first things you
should do is to create a plan on how you will reach your goals for 2018.
A
plan can help you focus on the steps it will take to reach your goal, instead
of feeling like you are all over the place.
Your
plan should detail the steps you need in order to reach your goal, what will
happen as you reach each step, when and how you will track your progress, and
more. Being detailed with your plan will help you reach your goal and be
successful.
Lean
tip #1790 - Break Your Goal Apart Into Smaller Goals for 2018.
A
year can feel like a long time to reach your goals, and you may forget about
them or become overwhelmed with the work it will take to reach them.
One
way to approach your 2018 goals is to think of 12 separate goals that relate to
an overall goal, one for each month of the year. Basically, each month would be
a step that gets you closer to your overall goal.
This
can be a great way to stay motivated while seeing the progress you are making
towards your overall goal, and you'll know exactly what you need to do in order
to be successful.
Lean
Tip #1791 - Realign Your Team After The New Year
After
the holidays, it can be tough to get back into the swing of things. While your
employees might try to wade back into the depths of their responsibilities, you
can’t afford to waste too much time. At the same time, however, you don’t want
to overwhelm your team, either.
Start
the New Year by reviewing where you all left off before the break. Discuss what
has been going well, and where there is room for improvement. Once everyone is
back on the same page, start looking forward.
Lean
Tip #1792 - Streamline Your Processes
While
you’re assessing your productivity from the past year, start tweaking your processes
to help your team better reach its goals.
Analyze
each step of your day-to-day processes, and try to figure out where you can
save time, money or other resources. If you can save a minute here, or a dollar
there, you could end up saving countless hours and thousands of dollars over
the course of the next year.
Not
only that, but by streamlining your processes and decreasing the amount of
“hang-ups” your team faces, your employees will be more apt to dive in and get
to work.
Lean
Tip #1793 - Improve Communication In Your Business.
Effective
communication is vital to business success. Encourage your employees to share
their thoughts about the past and the future. Provide several ways they can
communicate with you, from regular team and one-on-one meetings to an online
chat platform. Have an open-door policy and be open to receiving honest
feedback and ideas. Set the tone for consistent and transparent communication.
Lean
Tip #1794 - Focus on Education & Development
Learning
a relevant new skill will make you a more efficient leader, and the same is
true for your employees. By focusing on education and growth throughout the
year, you can improve operational efficiency, increase product/service quality,
and foster an innovative and creative environment. Further, the opportunity to
improve or develop new skill sets can translate to employees who are more
confident and satisfied in their current position.
Lean
Tip #1795 - Build Your Strategy With Your Team
What
do you want your business to achieve next year? Be SMART, set goals rather than
make resolutions. Especially in business, there is a difference between a goal
and a resolution. Resolutions are things you keep, goals are things you attain.
Nearly all successful business owners use SMART (Specific, Measurable,
Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based) goals to achieve their goals.
Once
you have goals for your business, it’s crucial to get your team on board.
Schedule a planning and strategy meeting with your employees, colleagues, and
support system to create the plans you need to reach those goals.
Lean
Tip #1796 - Engage in Meaningful Dialog
When
you make the effort to connect with your team members in person—individually
and as a group—you’re establishing a position of caring that motivates individuals
in all sorts of crazy-good ways. It’s easy to send short messages in emails,
and then rely on these small exchanges for most of your communication. Or, you
can focus on what needs to get done next and forget to take a breath, look
around, and get to know your employees. Don’t fall into this rut. Instead, ask
your team members about their immediate goals and project interests as well as
their career objectives.
Lean
Tip #1797 - Listen to Everyone’s Ideas
Your
entire team has great ideas. They’re in the trenches all day, bringing their
own experience and perspectives to the part of the project they’re focused on.
For example, if there’s a way to make spreadsheets more efficient or processes
more productive, the team members know how. It’s tempting to stick with
protocol because you know that works well. But these days the world moves so
fast nobody can afford to stay with a status quo for too long. So instead, make
it a policy to listen to new ideas (you could structure appropriate time
periods for this, too), and this will tell everyone they’re a valuable part of
the team. Give the good ideas a try; you never know what might happen—other
than the team becomes more invested in their work and the project outcome, for
starters.
Lean
Tip #1798 – Celebrate Team Successes Publicly.
Buy
everyone the same t-shirt or hat. Put team member names in a drawing for
company merchandise and gift certificates. Take the team out to lunch or order
in pizza. Let the team members share their success story at your weekly company
meeting. You are limited in the ways that you can celebrate teamwork only by
your imagination.
Lean
Tip #1799 – Assign Serious Team Goals
Give
your teams really important assignments and projects, not just planning for
next summer's annual company picnic. Bring teams in when you're looking at new
trends in the market, or need to see things through new eyes. It's important to
mix it up and not have the same people making the same decisions all the time. Ask
them to challenge the status quo and the conventional wisdom. This will help to
keep your company fresh and ahead of the game.
Lean
Tip #1800 – Encourage Informal Teams
More work in organizations is accomplished through informal teams than
formal ones. It's therefore in your interest to encourage the proliferation of
informal teams throughout your company, addressing any and all issues and
opportunities that capture their interest. When your employees are able to
tackle concerns themselves, without elevating every little decision to top
management, you'll have a much more efficient organization.
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