The Real New Year

Kara Holm
Sep 2, 2016
3 min read

This is Labour Day weekend in Canada. In many ways Tuesday, September 6 will feel like the unofficial new year. This is not an original idea – that the real new year happens in September – but it is worth noting.

I live in a neighbourhood near Dalhousie and the University of King’s College. For the past week I have been dodging moving vans and pick-up trucks as the students arrive for the new academic year. I expect this weekend will be boisterous, before the students settle into their routines. The celebratory attitude adds to the sense of new year. Back-to-school shopping is well underway. I am slightly dreading tomorrow’s trip to the mall for a Genius Bar appointment – my recent Apple experiences are destined for future blogs – because the mall will be packed! The only traffic issues have been related to extensive roadwork, but the volume will increase again on Tuesday. Essentially, next week everyone returns from their summer sojourns and checks back into reality.

Since August, I have been working on business planning with some of my clients. This work will continue in a more intense manner in September. For many of my clients, the summer is the busiest time of year from an operations perspective, so after Labour Day they are better able to focus on strategic planning. In my experience, most people return to the office in September ready to work hard. The majority organizations just let their people drift back to their day-to-day responsibilities, but there is an opportunity to use this time of year to engage your team.

My advice? Get your managers together for a special meeting with two key purposes.

Debrief on the summer season –

Have we been executing to plan? Why or why not?
What went well?
What can we do better?
Do we have the information we need to assess our performance – both internal metrics and external environmental considerations?
Does our team understand the indicators needed to analyze results? We have stressed the importance of using data to inform decision-making in several blogs, and it is a point that is worth repeating. This is a really good opportunity to review the metrics or key performance indicators you use on an ongoing basis.
How can we remember what we learned this year when next June rolls around? (Hint: capture some of these insights in the plan you are likely working on for the coming year.)

Your vision for the months ahead –

What are the key priorities and objectives as outlined in your plan for the current year in progress?
Are you close to financial goals? Is there anything you need to “course correct” to help you get there?
What are the activities and tactics that will help you be successful?
Are there obstacles you need to address?
Do you need additional business information?
What is your planned direction for the year to come and how does it tie into the work you are engaged with now?
What are your expectations for teamwork and communication at the leadership level?
How will your managers communicate and engage their teams to maintain momentum?

Lots of organizations are concerned about the amount of meeting time and its impact on productivity. We believe some strategic discussions can be very effective, by engaging your team and setting everyone up to succeed. Some meetings improve productivity. Alignment is critical, so resolve to create opportunities to keep your team focused, and help your managers understand how to engage their direct reports. This type of initiative, designed to keep you focused on your plan and objectives, is good for the health of your organization.