Starting the new year

Coming back after a festive break, the year ahead may appear to be a long and windy one. There may be a sense that there is a lot of time at your hands as people settle back to their daily routines, rusty after the break. There could potentially be an ‘abundance mentality’ when it comes to time. Deadlines seem far away, meetings are a bit more relaxed and people are still catching up with what they were upto during the break over coffees and lunch. But we also know that this is a very tiny window in what would normally be a busy work life for us and the lull is not going to last. Before that window closes down, it may be an opportunity to pause and think of how you may want to organise the year ahead of you.

This is what I am thinking and thought some of it may be relevant for the readers as well :

1.       Sharpen the saw : This is a term that I have borrowed from one of Stephen Covey’s books on leadership. He gives the example of a carpenter who ‘sharpens the saw’ each day before he starts working on his orders, however busy he may be, for he knows that the few minutes he devotes to doing so is an investment to produce good quality stuff. For each one of us, sharpening the saw may mean different things depending upon where we are in our careers and what we identify as our learning and development needs, but it is worth thinking about it for a few minutes at least every week and earlier on in the year, so that we can plan out on achieving those. It could be the reading, the training, the seminar, a change of career, a different role or indeed doing something new, different and stretching.

2.       Set your priorities : Many of us set objectives at some point during the year, but I would recommend this one step before we do that. Think of the question : What are the 2-3 things you would prioritise that you would like to achieve or contribute to during the course of the year. This requires some stepping back and would be around broader ‘goals’ on organisational culture, leadership, profile rather than some very specific or tangible objectives. If the priorities are clear, the objectives help in ensuring that you progress towards delivering on your priorities.

3.       Control your time : I believe that if we do not control our time, someone else will, and that would be at the risk of not achieving what you would like or are expected to achieve. There will always be demands on your time from various quarters and you may feel the need to respond to those. Some of that is inevitable, some of that is required, but you need to make sure that there is enough time for what you are expected to deliver as that is your primary accountability. This also extends to work-life balance so that you have enough time for yourself. A colleague once told me, “Plan for only 80% of the time, as there will always be something unpredictable coming your way”.

4.       Seek feedback: Giving and receiving feedback is not easy for many people. And receiving feedback which is challenging can be extremely difficult and it requires lot of courage to be able to accept that and work on it. Not all feedback will be objective or evidence based as many could be just perceptions. One of my ex-trustees once said, “Even if it a perception, take it seriously as it means someone believes it and before you realise, that may well be the truth” ! It is quite normal to have periods of self-doubt as I have often experienced. “Am I doing my job well ? Am I doing the right thing ? Am I making a contribution ? Is there any impact of what I am doing ?” These are all valid questions. Seeking feedback especially from those who know about your work well, within and outside the organisation, can help with answering some of those questions as they see you in a manner which is very different to how you see yourself.

5.       Create space for reflection : In a busy world, this can be very difficult. I don’t think there is a set pattern for this. But many colleagues find reflective spaces in away days, which may be once or twice a year. Others find coaching or trainings very effective. Some find reading and writing a reflective process. Some teams are good at creating spaces during each business meeting, say, on a monthly basis. What works would be an individual or a team preference, but the key is to create the space deliberately and use the space creatively.

So, here is to a great 2019. A final thought – if there is one thing that the experiences of the past couple of years has taught us, be it around Brexit, regulations, trust in charities or safeguarding, it is to expect the unexpected. As someone said, ‘Plan for the worst and hope for the best’ !

(Originally published in the Third Sector, January 2019)