Now that 2014 has come to a close and 2015 is upon us, we start to do a lot of planning. It is also a great time for reflection. As a new manager, what are you focusing on in 2015?
There are plenty of business areas that you will need to focus on for sure. How about your leadership skills? How have you developed as a leader this year? Did you just take on the role of leader, or have you been at it for a while now?
Reflect on 2014
Take a step back and look at how you have progressed in your role. It is so easy to get caught up in the daily activities necessary to keep your team productive, that often leaders forget to take the time to reflect. You can learn more and progress faster if you take the time to reflect. Ask yourself the following questions.
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What went well for my team in 2014?
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What didn’t go as planned in 2014?
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What am I most proud of in 2014?
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Where did I step up as a leader and provide value to my team in 2014?
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Where did I make mistakes as a leader in 2014?
Look forward at 2015
After you have taken some time to reflect on 2014 and written down some notes on how 2014 went, look forward at 2015. If you only look back and do not find ways to apply lessons learned into the future, it will not be as useful of an exercise. Ask yourself the following questions.
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What changes do I see that need to be made to reduce inefficiencies? What do we need to keep the same?
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What changes need to be made to increase client happiness? What do we need to keep the same?
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What changes need to be made to create a great place for my team to work in 2015? What do we need to keep the same?
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What do I need to do to be successful in 2015?
Focus on in 2015
With these two lists in hand, you can now create your focus list. Your list of what you will focus on as a leader in 2015. This is not going to be a project list, but a list of actions you are going to take as a leader to continue to improve your own leadership skills and improve the culture of your team.
To create your list, first find common themes among what went well. This could be as simple as there is a common theme that when things are going well communication and trust are at an all-time high. Therefore, you will want to focus on keeping communication and trust high all through 2015.
Second, look for the common theme in the areas that did not go well in 2014. Perhaps the theme is that collaboration was not easy and it resulted in many conflicts. Then, you can focus on improving collaboration and conflict resolution throughout 2015.
Put together your list for 2015 and as you are planning projects, assigning roles and tasks, and taking the pulse of your team, check in and see how you are improving in these areas of leadership. Engage your team in the activity and you will see even more ways to improve and grow together. Good luck and I wish you a very happy 2015!
Written by Emilie Shoop, Creator and Leader of Shoop Training & Consulting A sought after Coach, Mompreneur, Strategist, Mentor, Speaker, Author, Trainer & Business Consultant, Emilie works with people who are ready for that next level of success, and realize how they work with people is KEY. Her coaching will help you lead, delegate, sell, collaborate, perform, influence, and relate with people to launch your success to the next level. She provides clients, teams and organizations the skills and tools for leadership and professional excellence.
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