There’s something about this time of year that makes us sit back and reflect. Whether that’s on your business performance, the work environment or taking a moment to look ahead to the New Year, there are certainly benefits to taking a moment to look backwards or forward. We believe a little bit of reflection is a good thing that can allow you and your team to think about what has gone well, what could have gone differently, and how you can apply these learnings to your objectives for the following year.
To help you make the most of this reflection time, we’ve put together this guide with some reflection points that could help you get the most out of this exercise:
What went well in 2021?
2021 has been another challenging year, but after 2020 it’s likely your business was ready to get stuck in. Take a moment to think about what went well over the course of this year. Did your business start to recover post-pandemic? Have you found new ways to align and motivate your team whether you are in the office together or apart? Did your business achieve something amazing against the odds? Sometimes we don’t recognise the little achievements every day, so sitting back and considering the bigger picture can help you really see and appreciate each win.
What did not go so well in 2020?
Were there some things that didn’t go well? For example, did your business suffer supply chain issues, or did you lose customers as a result of the pandemic? Perhaps your team struggled to function productively in the challenging circumstances. Did they struggle with a work/life balance such as having to home school while working?
You obviously cannot control your customer base, but you can look at ways to win back lapsed customers and rebuild relationships in the next year. You can also take steps now to work with your teams in different ways to motivate and re-engage them heading in to 2022.
What role did you play personally in the year’s successes?
This year has continued to bring many worries and feelings of uncertainty into the workplace. Where career advancement used to be a priority for some, job survival is now a more pressing concern for many. If you were part of the leadership team that weathered this stormy year, well done. It’s time to look back at what you have achieved. Successfully adapting your team to hybrid working or bringing them back together successfully is something to be celebrated.
What was your responsibility in the disappointments of 2021?
No one was provided with a roadmap for 2020 and 2021, so if some mistakes were made along the way, you are certainly not alone. By understanding your accountability for any failings over the last year, you can learn and adapt your behaviour and processes to avoid making the same mistakes. If you do not take the time to assess what could have been done better, it will be harder to improve and the risk of repeating the same mistakes will increase.
Think about what you plan to do differently in 2022
The New Year is almost upon us. If you’ve effectively reflected on the last twelve months, you can now use those lessons and align your new 12-month plans to continue any good work already started or make changes to adapt and improve where it’s needed. Taking time out to reflect on both business and personal achievements and shortcomings allows us to grow and develop inside and outside of the workplace.
