Best workplace resolutions for 2012

They say resolutions are meant to be broken. In that case, how many workplace resolutions hold good? Do industry professionals see any benefit in them? “Resolutions if implemented on time can erase a lot of issues. Every workplace has its own set of trouble. This year, as a part of my resolution, I tried to inculcate staff retention and employee engagement. Positive motivation has helped me retain people who are the biggest asset of my organisation,” says Deepak Kaistha, Director, Planman Group and Managing Partner, Planman HR.
At the same time, there are a set of people who do not believe in the concept of resolutions. “We do not have any workplace resolutions; it is not a part of our belief system. If people simply adhere to what they promise to themselves, any place will be a better place for resolutions. It’s a philosophical statement and it is up to you if you want it to be successful or otherwise,” says Rajita Singh, Head, Human Resources, Broad ridge Financial Solutions (India) Private Limited.
Do’s and Don’ts of resolutions
The trouble with resolutions is that they are difficult to abide by. Often, the cause for failure is the unrealistically high expectations from oneself, leading to resolutions impossible to achieve.
“Resolutions can be both troublesome and rewarding. Many people make them, but few make a real commitment to them. Before you make a resolution, spend some time pondering exactly what you hope to achieve in the year ahead and how you plan to do it,” says Vidyadhar Prabhudesai, Managing Trustee, LeadCap Trust. For Prabhudesai, the biggest workplace resolution would encourage employees to waste less time in office. He believes that a limited time should be spent on networking sites that balance work and leisure equally.
“Be Realistic and don’t resolve to completely stop using social media. Plan to cut it down. Think incrementally and plan in small steps. Lastly, make resolutions for only those things that are within your control and do not involves the decisions of others,” he says.
Three big resolutions for 2012
What are some of the workplace resolutions that ideally people in all industries will try to keep in 2012? Three of them are summed up below:
1) Encourage Leadership: As the corporate is transitioning from closed to open source leadership formats, the coming 2012 resolution would revolve around the same. ” ‘Don’t micromanage’, ‘Don’t be a bottleneck’, ‘Trust subordinates’, ‘Challenge team to perform better’, ‘Retrain employees to lead’ etc, can be some of them,” says Prabhudesai.
2) Monitor workplace gossip: “Like it or not, every workplace is a political environment and it can get vicious. Office gossip is often used by an individual to place them at a point where they can control the flow of information and therefore gain maximum advantage. The past year has seen major conflicts in many organisations. My approach is to always balance out both the sides,” says Kaistha.
3) Strike a connect: Know the ‘why’ and then focus on their task. As the sense of purpose is biggest, this eventually helps avoid any issues that may arise due to communication, politicking etc. The power of being able to connect is the largest, which ensures the culture of an organisation is intact, nurtured and harmonious.
While these are broad resolutions for the organisation as a whole, are the CEOs planning a personal transformation in 2012 too?
“For me as a CEO, my wish list is long. Starting from employee satisfaction, motivating employees, helping them become better and responsible individuals professionally, to keeping my organisation conflict free, my list would continue. Considering the efforts put in by all my employees, I would want each of them to carve out better opportunities, and to grow within the organisation. My objective is to ensure that the organisation grows and as far as possible, all the above resolutions are implemented for the best,” shares Kaistha.
Article courtesy of Economic Times