5 Ways to End the Year Strong

by Dec 2, 2020

Crazy that we’re already talking about the end of the year. Good riddance, 2020! But it ain’t over, so you still have time to finish big.

The journey through a year is often a tapestry woven with myriad experiences, challenges, victories, and lessons. Some moments may stand out vividly—a successful project, personal growth, moments of joy and connection—while others might fade into the background. Yet, each of these fragments contributes to the mosaic that shapes our lives.

Whether you’re striving to meet your personal objectives, professional targets, or simply aiming to end the year feeling accomplished, these five strategies will empower you to finish strong and set the stage for an incredible start to the upcoming year.

End the Year Strong

Here are 5 options we thought you should consider:

Provide awesome harassment prevention training.

California employers know the deadline is Jan 1, 2021, but for those of you outside of the great golden state, it’s still an important endeavor.
Unfortunately, many organizations see this training as a check the box, cover your you-know-what, program. What a waste! You’ve got your workforce’s attention, so take advantage. Instead of ramming the technical definition of harassment down people’s throats, how about some information about creating a respectful work culture?
Take our short assessment to see if your current harassment prevention training delivers maximum impact on your culture. If it doesn’t, you know who to call. (Ahem, Civility Partners.)

Build company culture initiatives into your 2021 budget.

Every year we see organizations fail to allot resources towards culture initiatives. Get ahead of the curve and fight for funds to revamp the onboarding program, make room for self-care, or provide allyship training to employees – whatever your organization can do to keep the culture positive.
Here’s an old blog we wrote about what your budget says to employees. Keep in mind what you budget for, and don’t budget for, sends a big message.

Speaking of, we also recommend hiring a leader focused on diversity and inclusion. 

Glassdoor found that when COVID hit, diversity and inclusion leaders were among the first to go. When #BLM happened, all of a sudden these positions made a serious comeback.
That type of flip flopping sends an ugly message to employees. You can’t have it both ways – either your organization cares about diversity and inclusion or it doesn’t. So hire that leader and keep them on in tough times.

Recognize employees for their hard work this year.

I’m not talking about giving everyone a bonus (though I’m sure they would appreciate a little moola for their hard work!), I’m talking about genuine and tailored appreciation for their resilience and dedication.
Give working parents an extra day off over the holidays, for example, or send each employee a handwritten thank you card. The more creative you get, the better.
 

Check in with employees via a climate assessment.

Employees have been through a lot this year, there’s no denying it. See how they are doing, and allow them to provide anonymous feedback on how the organization has responded to the events of 2020. There may be some things they aren’t telling you, or they may have some ideas on things the organization could be doing better.
Make the rest of 2020 stellar!
Sincerely,
The Civility Partners Team

Many organizations ignore employee engagement because it feels elusive and expensive. Rather than getting caught up in the fear and doing nothing, download our eBook on employee engagement, and get started.

 

Catherine

About Catherine Mattice

Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the founder/CEO of Civility Partners, an organizational development firm focused on helping organizations create respectful workplace cultures and specializing in turning around toxic cultures. Civility Partners’ clients range from Fortune 500’s to small businesses across many industries. Catherine is a TEDx speaker and an HR thought-leader who has appeared in such venues as USA Today, Bloomberg, CNN, NPR, and many other national news outlets as an expert. She’s an award-winning speaker, author and blogger, and has 50+ courses reaching global audiences on LinkedIn Learning. Catherine’s award-winning book, BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, was hailed by international leadership-guru, Ken Blanchard, as, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic.” Her latest book is Navigating Toxic Work Environments For Dummies (Wiley).

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