How to Turn New Year Resolutions into Team Achievements

The turn of the calendar year is a time for reflection and setting resolutions for the upcoming year. As a leader, you may quickly list your own resolutions for your business goals. This is a good starting point. However, it can be more beneficial if you get all your various teams on board, too. Celebrating an achievement together at the year’s close can boost team morale and promote shared success. (FYI: We have our team party the second weekend of January because everyone is swamped at the end of the year.) Here are a few New Year’s resolutions that may be on the top of the list worth sharing and communicating about across the company.

Meeting a Specific Sales Goal

Meeting a sales goal is much more achievable if everyone is on the same page. At the beginning of the year, set a visible target for which everyone is accountable. While sellers may have set individual goals, explain how their targets ladder up to the whole company. Keeping everyone informed can create a positive and supportive team culture.

It’s also essential to have team-wide check-ins. At the beginning of every month, provide updates on where the company is and how that compares to previous years. If necessary, meet with salespersons who seem to lag behind. Ask if they need help or assistance in reaching their goals, and provide tangible tips. It may be as simple as reviewing their presentation materials with them and providing pointers.

Incentive programs can also be the nudge your salespeople need to cross the threshold. An annual awards ceremony to recognize the seller who sold the most in the last year can be a good start. You can also offer a bigger reward, such as a ticket to an upcoming festival or concert. No matter the incentive, teasing it throughout the year can create excitement and give your salespeople a needed extra push.

Prioritizing Employee Happiness

Employees today are more disconnected than they were in the past. Recent research from Gallup shows that 50% of the global workforce is “quiet quitting.” They are simply doing the bare minimum at work and logging off right at 5:00 p.m., if not before. A disengaged employee is not productive, which can significantly impact your business.

If prioritizing your employee’s happiness is a top priority for you, start by asking your team what would make their work more enjoyable. Surveying employees means you will get direct feedback. They may point out problems you were unaware of, such as communication difficulties with other teams or a lack of flexibility. Once you’ve surveyed your team, let them know what you’ll do to address their concerns. Communication is key in reassuring everyone that you’ve heard them and are doing what you can to fix the situation.

If you aren’t getting the type of feedback that you were hoping for from the team, you may want to start by showing your appreciation. Calling out a few individuals in a company-wide meeting who are doing an exceptional job can go a long way. Or offer developmental support and career opportunities for employees to further their positioning. Regardless of what you offer upfront, continue getting employees’ reactions to see if your efforts are valuable.

Increasing Client Retention

Similar to retaining your employees, client retention is vital to future success. A loyal client can help create stability for the company and act as a brand ambassador for you. Client retention is more cost-effective than finding new clients and, in turn, can increase profits and optimize workflow.

Retaining clients starts by getting their feedback. If you’re a marketing agency, ask the client representative for feedback during the project. Don’t just wait until the end when the final project is complete. Ensure they are happy and satisfied with the work your team is doing for them. If needed, this gives you time to pivot and switch gears to meet their goals.

Excellent customer support is also essential to retaining clients. Be overly communicative about your progress, sending personalized emails or calling clients when a hurdle arises. Keep track of all your scheduled meetings on your digital calendar, whether Calendar, Google Calendar, or Microsoft Outlook, and plan accordingly. Outreaching proactively shows that you care about their business needs, too, and want to work with them as a team. This will build trust over time, which can lead to follow-up projects.

And remember, you shouldn’t be trying to retain your clients alone! Let your team know that retention is top-of-mind for you, and get them on board with improving your services and establishing trust. If they work with the clients directly, they may also have suggestions for specific clients. Creating an open dialogue between your clients and your team is bound to lead to success.

Maintaining Company Culture

Company culture can easily be overlooked. You may be so focused on reaching your company-wide objectives that you disregard it. And yet, company culture can play a significant factor in actually achieving your goals. Company culture is the shared set of beliefs and values directly reflecting a company’s operation. It can directly impact how employees show up to work and how they feel about their place of work overall.

Every brand will have a different culture based on the employees, the type of work, the goals put in place, and other factors. Moreover, a company’s culture can shift over time. Sometimes, this shift is sudden and direct, such as an acquisition or a new CEO stepping in. Other times, the shift is more subtle. A set of new employees is hired and starts impacting the culture, for better or worse.

As a leader, it’s important to take a step back and see what the culture is like at the company. The new year is a perfect time to reset the culture or vision. You can start by focusing on individual well-being. Add mental health days so employees can time the time they need to recharge. Or implement a new health benefit, such as a stipend for employees to use for gym services and other health needs. Also, foster an environment where working away from the desk during lunch is encouraged.

As you’re implementing any changes, taping a few employees to be ad-hoc company ambassadors may be beneficial. Having a teammate invite everyone to a happy hour after work feels less forced than when the boss sends the invitation. Promoting diversity and inclusivity in the workplace by creating ERGs, or employee resource groups, can help boost culture, too. ERGs for female-identifying employees, working parents, or those part of a specific race or background can create a sense of belonging.

Tips and Takeaways

Business resolutions are tough to keep — just like a personal New Year’s resolution, such as exercising more, saving more money, or learning a new skill. It’s so easy to get swept up in the daily grind that you forget to look up and think about the big picture. Yet, by sharing your resolutions with the company, you are more likely to have your eyes set on them throughout the year.

The resolutions listed above are just a starting point. Think about your specific business needs and what you would like to accomplish by the end of next year. Keep the goals aspirational but attainable. Know the business’s challenges and brainstorm intentions that you can see the company achieving in the next 12 months. This will motivate everyone and give you all something to celebrate together at the end of 2025.