The new year brings opportunities for us to reset goals and create plans for the next 12 months. We encourage you to think about your leadership goals for the coming year. Here are a few ideas to get you off to a great start in 2019!
- Assessments: Start your year off with self-reflection and understanding of our habits, styles and behaviors. Your assessment can be a self-assessment or a 360-degree assessment that provides feedback from your leader, manager, peers, co-workers, and sometimes customers. There are many different assessment tools from which to choose based on your needs and desired feedback. We encourage you to talk with the learning and development team in your organization regarding what assessment options they can provide to you. Our favorite assessments are from the Everything DiSC® suite of products.
- Stay Connected with Others. Take a few minutes and identify the individuals in your network that you would like to stay connected with throughout the year. Many times, we forget to connect with others because of busy schedules. Write a personal note, pick up the phone, or send an email to someone in your network.
- Attend a development program. Select a development program that provides you with new tools, skills and provides opportunity to network with others. Take advantage of internal development programs and make new connections in your organization. Looking for a program outside of your organization? Consider our public Speak Up & Be Effective™ or The Exceptional Leader™ programs. Take advantage of the opportunity to meet others from different organizations. Continue to build your network of support both in and outside of your organization.
- Stay focused on your professional reading and/or listening list. Revisit the stack of books you tried to get to last year. Determine if they are still valid based on your goals. Find a new audio book or podcast you can add in 2019.
- Find an accountability partner. Just like exercise, our leadership development is more productive when others hold us accountable. Ask a trusted resource if they will be your accountability partner. Select someone that will be willing to provide you with positive and constructive feedback. Make sure that you are open to hear what is and is not being said about a situation. Remember that growth can be uncomfortable at times.
- Celebrate the small successes. Take time at the end of each week to reflect on what you have achieved or accomplished. Maybe you facilitated a productive team meeting, aligned others around a project, learned a new skill or made a new connection because you attended a networking event. Take a few minutes to enjoy your success.
Take the time to plan, meet others and celebrate your many successes this year. Our team looks forward to working with you in 2019. Visit jennifermaxsonassociates.com to learn about DiSC® services and our 2019 Public Program offerings. Keep us posted on your leadership successes. Lead to the Max!