2016... start out right

2016 Resolutions You & Your Team Can Keep

Posted: 30 Dec 2015 08:31 AM PST

Next year’s marketing plans may be written with an approved budget to back them up, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a bit of wiggle room to improve yourself and your team for 2016. Take this time before the start of the New Year to reflect on 2015 and set realistic goals that you and your team can keep for 12 months.

How to begin: Gather your team for a casual meeting or “working lunch” to reflect as a group on the past year. Encourage everyone to take individual notes, and jot group ideas on a large white board.

How to reflect: Think about the past year’s marketing campaigns and goals. What worked? What didn’t work? The answers aren’t always black and white. Break up each campaign into stages—from brainstorming to execution to post-campaign analysis—to evaluate strengths and weaknesses and find areas to improve on in 2016. Also consider internal relations; a stronger team will lead to stronger work.

How to set goals: Again, your 2016 marketing plan and budget are likely set, so what types of goals are we setting here? Now’s the time to develop goals related to how your team interacts with one another while working on projects or simply around the office.  Consider the ideas below:

1.      Want everyone to be more filled in on the team’s projects? Implement a weekly or monthly team meeting to review team progress.

2.     Looking for new perspective on creative? Bring in different team members for your brainstorming sessions.

3.      Everyone need more focus time? Block out an hour every week to work without phone, email or meetings.

4.     Sick of the department being messy? Declare a monthly cleaning day.

5.      Encourage healthy lifestyles with weekly “walking meetings” and replacing sodas with water.

Minor changes like these can help ensure a successful 2016.

How to keep resolutions: To help everyone stay on track with their goals, choose a limited number of team resolutions. A small number (maybe no more than five) is easier to maintain and will not feel overwhelming. Encourage individuals to make small resolutions, too. Set weekly check-ins to see how the team is doing and consider incentives such as small prizes, free lunch or a team happy hour, for kept resolutions.