5 Tips to Finish the Year Strong

By MCEArts Business, Culture, Startups, Strategy, Uncategorized Comments Off on 5 Tips to Finish the Year Strong

 

 

by Tonia Kallon, Creative Talent Acquisition Partner

Year-end appeals. Performance reviews. Progress against goals. If these activities make your head spin, you’re not alone! The MCE team can relate. As one year comes to a close, it’s natural to feel a bit of stress as you look to finish strong.  Read on for our top five business tips to carry you into the next year with confidence.

Create an achievements inventory

When you think of an inventory, what comes to mind? Is it a complete accounting or listing of all you have available? According to the Association for Talent Development (ATD), you can apply the same thinking for achievements and reflect on the skills and value you already bring.  With all of the year-end brings, it’s easy to think about all that needs to get done. But what if we flipped the script to think about all we have done? That’s right! No matter what type of year you’ve had as a business, leader, teammate, or person, there is still success to be found.  Maybe the past year was all about adapting. Perhaps you forged a new partnership.  The point is you did something.  Celebrate!

Reflect on pivotal moments and lessons learned

Okay, we start with achievements and move into reflection.  No matter what happens in a year, there are always meaningful moments and lessons to learn.  Building on the achievements inventory, ATD recommends reflecting on the following questions:

  •  What did you realize that you didn’t know before? 
  •  Which activities deepened skills or strengths you already possess? 
  • What accomplishments are you proudest of? 
  • Which skills, strengths, or competencies do you want to use more of next year? 

As a leader, visionary, and artist, it’s important to review trials and triumphs with a holistic perspective.  What can we apply to either keep momentum or shift momentum? This brings us to…

Use past performance to guide development needs

Leave the past behind but let the lessons guide you. We’ve all heard that dwelling on what didn’t work as well is not helpful or healthy.  What is productive is making a professional development plan.  Learning is life, and there’s always something new to discover in how we work and show up authentically.  Your future professional growth depends on your willingness to lean on informed decision-making.  In other words, if you’re looking to glow up—start with the lessons learned.

Frame goals with an alignment, culture, and equity lens

These days a goal is not simply something to be accomplished. If you’re looking to take your business impact up a notch, you have to consider the whole picture. What’s a must for that picture? Inclusion and equity are at the center of a sustainable culture.  When you’re moving from equity-neutral goals to goals with equity and inclusion considerations baked in, focus on the how, the impact, and the metrics you’re using.  The method matters.

Apply an attitude of gratitude

Gratitude and appreciation as a practice are essential in keeping us grounded.  But what does it mean? Researchers define appreciation as seeing the positives in experiences and people and gratitude as recognizing how those positives affect our work.   So, as you look to finish the year, be sure to apply the lens of appreciation and gratitude.  It always takes a village to succeed and a clear perspective to move forward.

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