01 January 2020

What are your new year’s resolutions for your business?

One area of concern stands out in all my years of experience as a Business Coach: many leaders struggle to figure out what is the right thing to work on right now. Whenever they feel like they’re not getting the results they’ve always wanted, they think about what exactly they need to change or improve on personally in order to spark a big break for their business.

There are always these brilliant executive and technical skills that business leaders need to master, but for me, what’s even more important is for them to learn what may seem like little things but in fact can affect the overall tactic they have to running their company. As 2020 approaches, there are a couple of behaviours and skills that one might start to employ in order to start a more positive and fruitful year.

Allotting more time for professional development

As a business leader, your schedule is always full. It practically consists of your presence being required in meetings all day and taking calls even during the commute on the way to office, before you’ve had your morning coffee. This is simply the nature of your role and being pressed for time is part of the deal.

But the truth is that you’re only going to be great in those meetings, calls and conferences when we actually allocate time developing yourself. I always tell my clients that they lead best when they know themselves — their capabilities, values and shortcomings. If you don’t take the time to continue to evolve your leadership approach and skills, you’ll soon face challenges you can’t overcome, and by then it would be too late to salvage your business. Next year, make an effort to develop yourself professionally.

The art of slowing down and saying ‘no’

The business world has become much faster in growth and innovation, and businesses need to keep up to survive. But that doesn’t mean you just grab any opportunity that comes by. Sometimes you need to step back and evaluate your actions, especially when you feel like you’re being pressured by a fast-evolving landscape. If you’re not being careful, you can get swallowed by a constant swirl of manic. Learn how to slow down. For every new opportunity, assess it through the lens of your strategic plan, your personal and business why. Don’t be pressured into doing something you’re not ready for.

A culture of individual growth

Your responsibility as a business leader is to play coach, advisor, consultant and delegator. As soon as you walk into a room, people need you to do more than say the right thing at the right time. Your team and partners don’t just require direction, they need actual opportunities to develop and grow professionally.

You can easily get caught up with just making sure your business earns money, but if you neglect your people, you’re abandoning the most powerful part of your company. Encourage communication and invite honest and timely feedback. Survey your employees about their role. Be more curious about their daily grind, challenges to their work and ideas for progress. Seek to cultivate an environment that helps people learn new skills, competencies and boost their personal value year after year. Meaningful conversations don’t show up on a balance sheet, but they have a strong rate of return.

Be the best business leader you can be and reach the full potential of your business. Work with a Business Coach. My extensive clientele consists of companies based in Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and West Midlands. Discover how REACH Business Coaching can help you grow your business by attending our free workshops and seminars.

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