Articles

New Year Change-ups

Jana M. Kemp

Instead of a New Year’s resolution list, create a list of ways that you’ll “do things differently this year.” In other words, break your routine, try doing things differently, and start some new workplace traditions.

Ruts and Routines. Every approach used to get things done can become a routine – something that is helpful, a rut – something that is no longer creative or meaningful, or a workplace tradition – something that works well, inspires us and others, and becomes a signature for your organization and its brand of products or services.

Starting with our ruts, every one of us can name at least three ruts that we are in. Whether it is driving the same way to work, always breaking for coffee at the same time, or even griping about the same workplace frustration repeatedly, we all have behavioral ruts. We even have workplace routines that may not be as productive now as when we first started using them.

Take a look at your workplace behaviors, patterns and routines. Which ones are working for you? Find some that do work for you and keep doing them because these are your strengths and allow you to be productive and creative.

Which workplace behaviors and routines are NOT working for you and your team? These are your ruts and need changing so that productivity, problem solving and creativity can occur at peak levels every day. Look for areas that are causing conflict or creating customer complaints. Also ask others if there are ways that you can be more productive. Sometimes others see clearly what we are missing.

Ideas for doing things differently. Once you’ve identified what you will and won’t continue doing, you’ll be ready to implement new ways of getting things done. Ideas for new approaches can come from other businesses, from reading a business book, from joining a trade association or chamber, and from your employee team itself. Try doing one new or different thing every week this year. It will improve your problem solving ability and enhance your powers of creativity.

Workplace traditions. Many companies have discovered that their new approach to doing something becomes their workplace tradition for providing service, getting work done, and even for working together. For instance, establishing a once a quarter or once a year “clean-out-the-files-day” is a tradition that forces a cleaning out and a regrouping for new work. Or, celebrating birthdays once a month at a staff meeting rather than every day there is a birthday can bring productivity up without loosing sight of valuing people. Another example is giving away candy and even dog biscuits at the bank and bank drive-through window.

Whatever you choose, change things up. It is a new year and your opportunity to choose to do things differently.

Action Items: Start this week. Do one routinely done thing in a new way. And during the month, establish one new workplace tradition.
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Reprint Permission: The author is willing to grant reprint permissions. Please contact Jana Kemp: jana@janakemp.com or call 208-367-1701.