Reboot, hope, reset, restart. These are a few “what’s-your-word-for-the-year” answers quickly culled online while checking sentiment about 2022. Almost two years into the pandemic, a number of variants of concern and a couple of devastating typhoons later, so many of us have experienced pandemic, Zoom and donation fatigue so much so that mental health has become a major concern, especially in organizations.
The clean slate of a new year brings with it the opportunity to start over. A do-over, a take two, another chance. Perhaps that big deal you were working on last year did not come to fruition or a major business project has yet to be awarded — whatever it is, 2022 gives us all a chance to pause, take a step back and reassess. In a sense, it equalizes where we are. Everyone can start anew.
The ringing in of the new year is also a good time to revisit your organization’s strategy. A lot of companies tend to conduct strategy planning sessions during the last quarter of the previous year but there are still many organizations who utilize the first quarter of the new year to revisit strategy and reassess what works versus what didn’t, changing tactics to achieve goals and objectives.
In sales and account management, it is also an opportune time to review your coverage map and assess relationships you may want to build and establish. What activities would you look into in order to achieve these objectives? Similarly, would you be able to leverage existing executive relationships so this becomes easier to a certain extent?
To help us frame our thoughts, here are a few questions to answer:
* What were the highs and lows of 2021?
* Am I able to avoid any of the lows that happened? What should I do so that these do not happen again?
* What worked best and what did not? How can I sustain those that did and make them into best practices?
* Were there any people involved in helping me achieve my wins in 2021? If yes, how can I make this consistent? If none, will it be sustainable in the long run? How can I make sure that these relationships are valued?
These are just some of the questions that can help in your reflection. What is important is to take the lessons of the past year, learn from it, and move forward in the coming year. This is true in many aspects of our lives, including in business. After all, we all get to start with a clean slate.
I wish everyone success this 2022. A blessed new year to all!
Kay Calpo Lugtu is the COO of Hungry Workhorse, a digital and culture transformation firm. Her advocacies include food innovation, nation-building and sustainability. The author can be reached at kay.lugtu@hungryworkhorse.com.
Source: https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/01/06/business/top-business/a-clean-slate/1828306/