In the business analysis world, we have regular performance reviews against business plans and so on. This systematic holding-to-account forces a refocus of energy and resources on achieving an organisation’s top priorities.
So, given that governance is what I DO professionally, with March now behind us, I thought it was time I held a quarterly review against my New Year’s Resolutions, to see how I’m doing so far this year, and to inspire me to continue to focus on my goals for the next portion of the year…
# Personal goals for 2009
Goal one (New Year’s Resolution): Making more time for my kids… aiming to set aside two nights a week.
Achievement (as at 11/04/09): Achieved. Each week Wednesday night has become Board Game Night and Friday night is movie night. The kids and I all sit down to eat dinner together each night and we’re finding time to undertake activities together more regularly.
Comments/new targets: I’m really pleased with my achievement against this goal; it was the most important one for me for this year. I’m taking my kids to the coast for a couple of days next weekend and I’ve recently started the habit of making up fruit platters at night to encourage them to eat better.
- Continue to look for opportunities to spend time together and undertake more activities.
- Annual holiday with my boys.
- Improve their eating habits!
______
Goal two (New Year’s Resolution): Improving my relationships
Achievement (as at 11/04/09): Partially achieved. This has been a tough one. I’ve achieved well in some areas (making more time for my kids, my parents and staff) and abysmally in others (a number of friends I’ve not made enough time for, I’ve been a pretty lame girlfriend for my partner and so on).
Comments/new targets: More consistent effort required.
______
Goal three (New Year’s Resolution): Improving my fitness.
Achievement (as at 11/04/09): Hmmm, some progress achieved, but there’s still a long way to go. I still look and feel like a lump.
Comments/new targets: More consistent effort required.
______
# Professional goals for 2009
Goal one (New Year’s Resolution): Love my job
Achievement (as at 11/04/09): Partially achieved. Some good ground work done, but I really need to roll-up my sleeves and get on with the job after these schools holidays are over.
Comments/new targets: More consistent effort required.
______
Goal two (New Year’s Resolution): Develop my staff
Achievement (as at 11/04/09): Partially achieved. My whole team now have development plans in place, and I’ve held discussions with them about what they what from the next 12-months. We’ve developed a business plan for each team and after the Easter break we’ll look at forging ahead against those goals.
Comments/new targets: All the systems are now in place to succeed against this goal, and it’s now time to move things to the next level.
- Regular one-on-one meetings.
- Refocused weekly team meetings to discuss business plan objectives.
______
Goal three (New Year’s Resolution): Find the fun
Achievement (as at 11/04/09): Achieved. I’ve successfully instilled a çan-do sense of fun amongst the current team members (with one notable exception for which I will not blame myself).
Comments/new targets: Now that my staff know that they have my support and can bounce ideas off me, I’d like to back this off a little and redraw-the-line regarding the professional demarcation of my role as the leader, as I’m finding all the mate-ship a little intrusive and time-intensive.
- Maintain team enthusiasm, trust and bonding, while reclaiming a little of my own professional space.
