It’s that time of the year again. You’ve thought about everything that’s transpired and started to come up with a list of things you’re going to do better or differently next year. Yes, we’re talking about New Year’s Resolutions. They’re always well-intended. However, the reality is that most of them are forgotten by the end of January. Whether you just don’t have time, or lose motivation, the truth remains, New Year’s Resolutions are tough to keep.

When it comes to your career, you have goals you want to reach. Maybe it’s becoming a Team Lead or a Chief Engineer. In order to reach those goals, you need to have specific steps that are going to get you there. What better time than the start of the New Year to set about making those smaller steps a priority? Here are a list of New Year’s Career Resolutions that you can keep:

Brush Up Your Resume

Even if you don’t have plans to look for a new job right now, you never know when an opportunity might present itself. This simple exercise keeps you from losing information you might need in the event that you decide to look for something new. The process can be reflective as well. When you look back at your past jobs and accomplishments, you can be proud of how far you’ve come. Conversely, maybe there’s a hole in your resume that needs filling and now’s the perfect time to get to work.

Update Your LinkedIn Profile

When was the last time you looked at your LinkedIn profile? A lot has changed since the days when people threw up a professional picture, their schooling and titles for jobs they’ve held. Now, more than ever, your LinkedIn profile is part of your professional brand. The information, style and layout should be up to date. How’s that professional summary coming along?

If you need some inspiration, check out the profiles of some of your connections. Chances are you’ll learn a thing or two.

Subscribe to a Blog

We’re all guilty of wasting time during the day. Whether it’s scrolling through Instagram or checking fantasy football scores, the time can add up. The truth is though, we all need a mental break at some point. Why not put that time to good use and subscribe to a blog you find interesting? It doesn’t even have to be related to your industry. There are literally hundreds of thousands of talented writers out there sharing their perspective and information for free. If you’re not sure what kind of blog you might be interested in, ask around. Your friends and colleagues will have plenty of ideas.

Send One Thank You Note Per Week

Even though most of our communication takes place electronically, there’s still no substitute for an old-fashioned hand-written thank you note. Whether it’s to a person from another department that helped you out on a project or even just a friend, personal thank you notes are memorable. They don’t take long to write and are a great way to practice gratitude – something we could all use more of.

Add a New Skill

The ways in which we work are constantly changing. As a result, your skills need to be current. Set aside some time each week to learn a new skill. It doesn’t matter if it’s learning a second language, new computer program or becoming a better public speaker. The point is that you’re bettering yourself and enjoying the process.

Take Care of Your Health

We all know about those New Year’s Resolutions focused on weight loss. “This year I’m joining a gym.” “Starting in January, I’m going to do yoga three days a week.” Just like most New Year’s Resolutions, it’s only a small percentage that are actually seen through.

The good news is you can take some smaller steps to improve your health and well-being. Buy a stand-up desk for your office. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Bring your own lunch instead of eating from the cafeteria. Replace that comfy computer chair with a Swiss ball. There are all sorts of easy ways to be healthier at work. The key is to find one or two that work for you and, stick to them.

Find a Mentor

Even if you’re the company President, there are still people in your organization you can learn from. Find someone with some skills that you particularly admire. Approach that person and ask them if they’d be willing to mentor you in a specific area of your job. Together, you can set goals and have some fun along the way.

Become a Mentor

Maybe there’s someone on your team who seems to go above and beyond. You can tell this person is passionate about what they do and is driven to meet their goals. You can’t be everything to everybody but, if you make an effort to take an exceptional employee under your wing, they’ll be more than thankful. Giving back makes you feel good. Better yet, chances are you’ll learn something too.

Get a New Professional Photo

You like the picture on your business card. Unfortunately, it’s 15 years old. Yes, you have a little more gray hair now but, that baggy suit hasn’t been fashionable since Y2K. As trivial as it might seem, people are going to judge you by your professional picture. Whether it’s in an email signature, on your LinkedIn profile or on your business card, your professional picture is often the first chance someone has to put a face with your name. Why wouldn’t you want to look good?

Most New Year’s resolutions fail for one of two reasons. First, they’re too big to tackle. Second, they aren’t specific. The good news is it isn’t that hard to make some small improvements to keep you on the track to success. Create some daily habits that don’t take a ton of time but are fun and rewarding. You just might surprise yourself with the difference you see.

If you’re in any kind of management position, you’re charged with helping each and every one of your employees do their job and fulfill their potential. Anything short of this can be detrimental for your team, and the entire organization.

Goal setting is widely lauded for its merits of building morale, bringing about continuity and motivating employees. Unfortunately, goal setting in practice often resembles something entirely different. All too often, managers call in employees for their 30-minute quarterly or yearly reviews and go through a prepared list of questions and metrics that fall short of addressing individual needs and performance. To many employees, meetings like these are seen as laughable attempts from higher-ups to check in from 30,000 feet.

If you’re serious about getting the most out of your employees and taking your team or organization to new levels, effectively helping employees set goals is an essential part of the process.

1) Know Your Employees

Every employee is different. Each of them listens, learns and produces in their own way. As a manager it is your job to adapt your communication and teaching style to each individual. In order to get to know your employees taking a personality test can provide tremendous insight to who they are as people. If you don’t have access to a personality test, simply spending some time talking to your employee and getting to know what drives them, what interests them, and what they would like to achieve in their business and personal lives can give you great insight.
Not only will this help you communicate with your employees, but they will be better suited to communicate with co-workers and customers as well. When it comes to goal setting, arming yourself with knowledge of your employees as people only helps you to set goals that are tailored for them.

2) Make Goals the Employee’s Idea

No one likes to be barked at and told what they need to do better in their job. This approach to goal setting is often viewed by employees as meaningless and scathing. Instead, invite your employees to take part in a two-sided conversation about their performance and objectives. Asking probing questions is a great way to steer the conversation in a certain direction while also allowing employees to think for themselves. Give them an idea of what needs to be accomplishes and ask them what they can do to help achieve it. This helps them participate in the process and take early ownership of their role.

If your employees feel that they have been heard and that goal setting was a collaborative experience, the results will surely show in the workplace.

3) Set Goals that can be Measured

We set goals for ourselves all the time. They usually are something like, ‘I’m going to lose weight” or ‘I’m going to make more time for my family.’ These goals usually aren’t attained for a simple reason. They lack measurability and accountability.

When you’re working with employees to set goals, make sure they are attainable, measurable and have accountability and incentives tied to them as well. When employees are readily able to track their progress and feel a goal is within reach, they are increasingly motivated to hit the target. Once a goal is attained, employees will be all the more excited to reach the next one. This spells good news for the entire organization.

4) Align Goals with Company Objectives

It’s human nature that we are more inclined to put forth our best effort if we feel like we are part of something great. The best companies to work for know this and make it a cornerstone of how they do business. They take every step necessary to get each employee on board with the company’s mission. Setting individual goals that are in line with company objectives and culture goes a long way in motivating employees to reach their full potential. Don’t expect your employees to be excited about working with blinders on, allow them to see their part in the bigger picture.

5) Be Consistent and Transparent

While it’s vitally important to curtail goals to each individual, they should be similar for all employees with a certain level of responsibility. People talk and if one employee’s goals are vastly different from another’s of the same stature, you are sure to incite jealousy and angst which are toxic in the workplace. It could also lead to accusations of favoritism, which could undermine the management of your team.

6) Take a Step Back and Look at the Entire Picture

All too often managers are quick to bring down the hammer on employees that aren’t meeting expectations. The truth is however, yelling and punishing rarely solve anything and more often than not make employees more disengaged and unmotivated. When setting goals for employees that fall short, it’s important to take a step back and look at the entire situation. Did this employee receive proper training? Were expectations clearly spelled out? Do they feel they are part of the team striving for a greater good? Did they have the resources or equipment they needed to succeed?
Looking at the bigger picture to identify shortcomings often reveals easy fixes that can be communicated constructively in a nurturing manner. Make these employees a priority and help them create an action plan to achieve desired results. Ask them what they feel they might need from you to be able to reach their goals. It lets them know you are supporting them and also puts the responsibility on them to succeed. If the proper steps are taken, these employees often become top performers.

As a manager, you’re only as good as your team. Checking in regularly and collaboratively setting clear and measurable goals for each individual under you is paramount to achieving desired results. Setting aside appropriate time to meet with employees on a human level lets them know you care. It doesn’t take much, but simply knowing you want what’s best for each individual goes a long way in increasing productivity, efficiency and morale in any organization.