After a long holiday break, it's tough
to get back in the groove. I'm not
saying that my time away from the
office was easy. The frenzy of pre
and post Christmas festivities almost
broke me. However once the festivities
ended, I was able to relax and escape.
Somewhere along the way I lost my
corporate mojo, work flow, honcho
alga rhythm. Now it's time to find it...
and quickly please. There's no better
way to do that than jumping back to
reality at a break neck speed!
By it's very nature January can be
a bitch slap of reality. In retail most
companies end their fiscal year in
January. That means a flurry of
accounting paperwork and related
tasks. While the anticipation of a
new budget looms bright on the
horizon, last minute cuts often mean
it will not be quite as bright as one
originally planned. Why do we even
bother working throughout autumn
on numbers we'll just reinvent one
week before they're finalized?
The new year is a time for revelations
and resolutions. Yet while we're still
under an egg nog infused haze, it's the
time to focus on what's most important,
PEOPLE. Meaning we must create and
deliver employee reviews. While most
consider this as painful as writing thank
you notes, nothing is more important.
Not about atoning for former sins. this
is a tool to level set and motivate!
I believe in talent management.
You must aggressively reward the
best while you discipline the worst.
It's not the most comfortable task
but definately the right thing to
do. The way to win is by using
"compassionate candor". You
must tell them like it is in a kind,
caring, and constructive manner.
If you avoid conflict you will only
hurt the recipient and negatively
impact others who have no idea
what hit them or why.
While I have no intention of joining
a health club or rehiring my former
personal trainer, I do consider this a
time of renewal. It's rare that we can
sit down at our desks fully relaxed,
restored, and revived. So why not
leverage this time to shake things
up? With a clear head you can see
the world in a new way. Your team
is also in that same place and are
ready to be led and inspired to do
newer and even better things. Go
ahead, lead the pack, GIDDY UP!
Before you know it, reality will hit once
again. You'll slip back into your routine
and suddenly everything will be like it
was before. In my case that's doubtful
as we're in the midst of a transition to
new ownership at my company. While
I don't know what's on the horizon, I'm
certain it's going to take some effort to
get there. Starting this week I will rev
up my engine, fasten my seat belt, and
prepare for a bumpy but exciting ride.
After all, the express train to "next" is
leaving the station - ALL ABOARD!
