Year End Review…

Let’s be clear, I love the movie White Christmas, but I am not dreaming of a white Christmas…. I’m all for a light dusting after everyone has arrived at their destination, so it looks iconic like a good old fashioned Hollywood musical. But here we are, IN Minnesota, the state where it can hail one day and snow the next…. Oh wait, it did.

Just as many of us were surprised back in March with hail, then snow… and it snowed in late April also…. We can also be surprised with unexpected business changes. It is so HO HO important to work on your business and keeping it shored up against changes that will inevitably come around.

Whether you’re managing employment changes, regulations and laws, industry upheavals or maybe through growth (think about growing pains when you were a young child) being agile and willing to maneuver through change is very important. Change whether positive or not, still brings stress to you, and those around you.

Just a couple of considerations for 2018:

Retention: It’s so much easier (AND CHEAPER) to retain employees rather than attract and train new ones. What are you really doing to retain your current workforce? It isn’t about pay for 90% of your employees. My action item for you: ASK your employees what is meaningful to them.

Education: Have you or your employees been through educational seminars, workshops or classes to stay up to speed on newest techniques, industry standards or new skills? A great way to get refreshed is to get out of the office, because we don’t know what we don’t know. Action Item: Don’t delete the emails coming from industry experts, take a look at what they can offer you and your staff.

Policies and Procedures: I know you love it when I bring this up! But policies and procedures can easily become outdated. Action Item: pick a couple right now you know aren’t up to date and take the time. Okay…. MAKE the time.

2018 holds mystery and intrigue for the business world. It could be smooth sailing or a roller coaster ride with one of those horrid upside down thingies in the middle. Set yourself up to ride the wave, and have a great start to 2018.

I pray your year-end goes well, and you take the time to be with your loved ones over the holidays. I’ll see you on the flipside! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!