There are myriad aspects of the new year that create a great opportunity for change. There is the changing of the seasons, the changing of the buying mindset of customers and the changing of quarterly goals. There are many new tech and business opportunities waiting just upon the horizon as well. Both employees and customers alike are primed for change.
Smart leaders know that taking advantage of this change-primed time is an excellent way to keep the momentum going through into the new year. So, which are the most effective ways leaders can utilize this mindset? Below, 11 members of Forbes Coaches Council share the top strategies that leaders can use to turn the season of change into realized action.
1. Engage Employees Early On
Engage employees early in the year in a collaborative way to commit the organization's vision into action. Open space technology forums have great potential to generate enthusiasm for change. The key for leaders is to follow up on the ideas developed in order to keep the momentum of employee engagement going strong. - Barrett McBride, Barrett W. McBride & Associates
Read more in Three Musts For Moving Staff Through Change
2. Prioritize Emotional And Social Intelligence
The best way to set ourselves and our teams up for success, while taking advantage of opportunities and managing change, is to make enhancing our emotional and social intelligence a priority. The more emotionally intelligent we are, the more socially intelligent we become, allowing us to better adapt to people and situations by meeting others' needs and adding value that moves people forward. - Jason Kiesau, JK Leadership
3. Use Power And Potency
There is no better time than the present to take advantage of making the necessary shifts to catapult your business to generate more money, more clients and more freedom — with a lot less effort. We are very powerful and potent beings, and our potency is only as strong as we allow ourselves to be. When we have the tools to get ourselves out of our own way, then we can have a massive impact in the world. - Teri Karjala, Talking With Teri
4. Seek Areas Of Growth And Opportunity
Evaluate the past year and look for areas of growth and opportunity. Place the changes you want or need to make on a vision board or to-do list. Then schedule time to intentionally incorporate the changes. Do it consistently every day for the month of January, and then the changes will naturally become part of your routine. - Tameika Isaac Devine, The Possibilities Institute
5. Provide Time For The Personal And Professional
By investing in those you lead, you will be able to take advantage of the natural momentum of the New Year. Take time to provide personal reflection and planning opportunities in conjunction with professional planning opportunities. By doing this, you will have the ability to connect the dots between personal and corporate milestones creating clear win/win objectives. - Jeneen Moretuzzo Masih, JD, LLM, JMM Consulting
6. Visualize Your Narrative
Recognize your career as one great story that is still being written. Learn from previous chapters, mistakes and all. Be intentional in deciding how you would like the rest of your leadership narrative to “read,” then pursue next year's chapter with all the passion and intensity you can bring to life. - Mark Nation, Nation Leadership
7. Welcome Change
To encourage change in your business, a leader must first welcome change in life and work. Begin by not only setting life-changing goals, but by envisioning what you will look and feel like when you reach them, as if they are already achieved. You can inspire staff to do the same by helping them make solution-focused goals that can be easily reached through both imagination and implementation. - Christine Silverstein, The Summit Center for Ideal Performance
Read more in Hacking The Human Side Of Digital Transformation
8. Evaluate The Previous Year
Evaluate the prior year and identify what worked well and moved your business forward. Expand on those things in the new year. Also, be very honest about what didn't work and perhaps stunted your growth or consumed too much of your time. Decide what you need to let go of, as painful as it may be, and also decide what you can delegate to free you up for expanding your business in the coming year. - Debbie Cromack, Emerge Empowerment
9. Plan At The Start And End Of Your Day
Bookend your days and plan, plan, plan! Commit to taking 10 minutes each day of executive time and plan your day. Spend five minutes every morning and five minutes each night planning your next day. This will be a game changer not only because it will save you time, but it will keep you sharp, decrease distractions and keep you focused on what is most important to grow your company and people. - Jon Dwoskin, The Jon Dwoskin Experience
10. Confidently Envision Impact And Seek Feedback
Every great leader loves change, but making significant behavior change isn't easy. Our research shows that leaders who make behavior changes that lead to real, financial ROI, have three things in common. One, they feel confident that they have the skills to implement the change. Two, they can envision the lasting ripple effect and impact of the change. Three, they actively seek feedback on progress. - Lisa Ann Edwards, Lisa Ann Edwards
11. Embrace Small Changes
When it comes to change, my advice is to think small, not big. Often, we set ourselves up with the best of intentions to transform the world or ourselves, and then lose momentum because it can be hard to effect big change. Instead of "I'm going to run a marathon" start with "I'm going to exercise for 30 minutes today." That's change. Focus on what you can do now. Tomorrow will take care of itself. - Morag Barrett, SkyeTeam
