Resolve to Make 2013 the Year of HR

Often New Year’s resolutions get made with the best intentions, only to be broken within a matter of hours. In an article from Forbes, Brett Nelson reflects on the reasons why so many personal and professional resolutions fail before January is over.

Brett recommends avoiding formulating resolutions that are quick fixes. For example, rather than resolving to lose weight, aim instead to be healthy. For translation to the work world: rather than electing to spend 5% more on marketing in the hopes of seeing an increase in sales, you could refine your overall strategy, prune personnel, and improve the organization as a whole. We like this way of thinking and wonder what your business resolutions are for 2013?

employee goal for 2013If you haven’t come up with one yet, maybe think about putting a greater focus on how you can better understand your employees and help them achieve satisfaction on the job. Recent research by Gallup shows that if employees are bringing their problems to work, they are likely hurting other team members’ performances. Conversely, when team members’ lives are going well, it has a positive impact on those around them. What’s the underlying mechanism? The researchers believe that colleagues act as role models for one another.

If you really want to take this one step further, you may want to consider your flex time policy. The one perk that had the biggest effect on employee wellbeing was the amount of flexibility employers offered in terms of their set-hourly schedule. Engaged workers, it seems, are much more likely to say their companies offer them at least some flex time.

If you would like to give some ideas for 2013 employee goals that are sustainable, consider suggesting that members of your team start or join an employee-resource group. A WSJ article, published this week, stresses the potential for professional gain that exists from selectively enrolling in such groups. These groups allow individuals of similar backgrounds to swap experiences and grow as a group. It also allows employees to gain greater visibility and advance their careers within a company.

All of us at TribeHR want to wish you the best personally and professionally in 2013. We also want to encourage you to register for free email updates and take a look at last week’s Water Cooler post for other interesting HR news.


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