As 2009 comes to an end, it’s natural for executives to spend the last
weeks of the year reflecting on what they’ve done with their careers
and within their organizations as well as what they still want to do. Did
they accomplish all of the goals they set for their organization this year?
Did they achieve everything they wanted from their careers in 2009?
What are some of the most notable accomplishments that will define
this year? What hasn’t yet been done?
If you haven’t yet completed everything that was on your to-do list
for 2009, it may not be too late. Experts agree that there is still time to
achieve your goals; expectations for such accomplishments may have to
be tempered just a bit — but results can still be rather impressive,
depending on the goals left to tackle.
Your Job Search Goals
If finding a new position is one of your goals for 2009, experts agree
that now is the time to pursue it. Many people choose to put their job
search on hold during the holidays, effectively decreasing the number
of candidates competing against you in the job market.
During this time of year, job-seeking executives often find it can
actually be easier to connect with individuals within organizations since
internal operations within most companies tend to slow as the holidays
approach.
“Job search never has a holiday,” says Andy Borkin, president of
Strategic Advancement Inc., a New Jersey-based human resources consulting
firm, noting that hiring authorities tend to be more accessible
and in a better frame of mind during the holiday season. Since they
typically have more time, many hiring managers may be more willing
to schedule informational meetings than they typically are during other
times of the year.
If organizations have a specific hiring need, they aren’t going to wait
until January to begin or resume their search for qualified candidates.
Regardless of the economy and time of year, companies will continue to
hire to fill crucial roles. “People haven’t turned off all of their hiring,”
says Borkin. “Opportunities are starting to increase. If [companies] have
needs, they are bringing people in.”
Addressing Networking,
Relationship Goals
Goals related to networking and
relationship building are among the most
important individual goals executives
need to work on as they close out 2009.
They’re vital if you’re currently in job
search, but just as important for executives
who also use their network for other
career development activities, such as
forming new business ventures. Plus, you
never know when you will need assistance
with an unexpected job search. “Build the
friendships back and nurture them to
where a good support system is once
again available in times of crisis,” says
Dilip Saraf, a career coach and author.
One example of how to do it: Executive
coach Jennifer Kahnweiler, PhD,
points to an executive who wants to
improve his networking skills and carefully
decides which group he will network
with. “He may want to demonstrate that
his company is a good citizen. In that
case, he might join the United Way
and head up a campaign,” explains
Kahnweiler, author of The Introverted
Leader: Building on Your Quiet Strength.
“That will connect him with the local
players across the community and make
networking a natural, strategic effort.”
Saraf says restoring balance to the
work/life equation is also an important
task for this time of year. In addition,
if an executive is contemplating a career
change, he says that now is the time to
visit a career coach to gain some guidance
and strategize how to take those
next steps.
Outlining Individual Goals
While your job search and networking
goals are externally driven activities
requiring your focus, internal goals
related to your career also need attention
during this time of year.
When determining the personal goals
you want to achieve now, it’s important to
ensure that they align with the organizational
goals you also want to reach. “Be
clear on your purpose organizationally and
where your individual contributions relate
to that purpose,” says Bruce Rosenstein,
author of Living in More Than One World:
How Peter Drucker’sWisdom Can Inspire
and Transform Your Life. “Make sure your
goals and plans are aligned with those in
the larger organization.”
Rick Balsiger, president of Balsiger
Partners LLC, an executive search, brand
integration and organization design consultancy
based in California, suggests
accepting new assignments or volunteering
to lead critical projects. “Particularly
today, companies need leaders who are
flexible, versatile and demonstrate the
willingness to take on the tough assignments
during tough times,” he explains.
“This can be a great way to further
enhance our value to the organization.”
To further enhance your value outside
of your organization, Balsiger says
it’s an ideal time to continue to build
and manage your personal brand.
“Before the new year begins, take some
time to assess what you bring to the table
and how your strengths and experiences
address different needs in the market,”
says executive coach Scott Eblin.
“That’s the beginning of understanding
the essence of your personal brand and
unique value proposition.”
Identifying Organizational Goals
Completing organizational goals should
also be part of your year-ending agenda.
Experts say that among the most important
areas needing focus are those that
are employee- and/or customer-facing.
Kahnweiler says executives must attend
to goals related to employee retention and
leadership development. “As we slowly
move out of the recession, employees
will be looking at jumping ship unless
they see opportunities for growth and
development in their own organization,”
she explains. “Senior leadership should
take a close look at what kinds of goals
and processes they have in place to
develop and grow people.”
Balsiger adds that executives should
also spend these last weeks of the year
communicating with employees and
working to keep them involved and
engaged with the organization. He notes
that this is always beneficial, but more
so during a challenging economy.
“Times like these are as difficult for
remaining employees as they are for
those who have been displaced, and
morale can be extremely difficult to
manage,” says Balsiger. “Employees
need to feel that they are a part of the
solution, not viewed as overhead and
part of the problem. And the fact is we
need them to be part of the solution.”
Pam Lassiter of Lassiter Consulting,
a firm that provides career management
services to both companies and individuals,
agrees more focus needs to be placed
on customers. This includes having a
clear cut strategy related to how the recession
is affecting clients and how your
organization can help, she explains.
Make a Quick, Impressive Impact
“In the near-term, the focus should be
on ‘blocking and tackling’ issues and
execution,” says Balsiger. “Major strategic
initiatives should be reserved for the
2010 plan. There’s most likely enough
disruption, uncertainty, and in some
cases, organizational paralysis already.
Trying to introduce some last-minute
goals or initiatives are not only nearly
impossible to execute successfully, we
risk confusing and paralyzing the
organization even further.”
Now is certainly the time to wrap-up
unfinished projects and even kick-off
smaller-scale initiatives that can conclude
within a month’s time. Leaders need
to seek out the easiest and least time-sensitive
goals to achieve right now, but
ones that will still create a strong impact
on organizational and individual success.
“I believe that the goals you can focus
on immediately should be the ones that
will help executives, and perhaps other
managers and staff, hit their targets for
year’s end,” says sales strategist Michael
Goldberg, of New Jersey-based Building
Blocks Consulting, who consults with
sales teams and business owners.
The goals that executives should
focus on now should address both
organizational (company) and individual
(personal leadership) needs. “It should
be a combination of both...how your
personal goals are going to enhance
organizational goals,” says Borkin.
Finding Your Focus
Since there are so many goals still to
be accomplished, both organizationally
and individually, it can be difficult for
executives to determine which need
immediate attention, and which should
be included among initiatives earmarked
to begin in 2010. “An executive must
look at both short-term and long-term
priorities,” says Gayle Lantz, author of
Take the Bull by the Horns: The Busy
Leader’s Action Guide to Growing Your
Business...and Yourself. “Ask: ‘What’s
most important? What do we really want
to accomplish?’ If unclear, revisit the
organization’s vision and strategy.”
If you need help getting started as
you determine your goals for the remainder
of 2009 and all of 2010, Linda
Dominguez, CEO and executive strategist
at Executive Coaching and Resource
Network Inc., suggests implementing
the “Dominate and Delegate” process.
The first step, explains Dominguez,
is to take a piece of paper and draw a
vertical line in the center of the page.
Then, on the left side, list everything you
want, need or plan to do by the end of
2009 — from strategic to tactical. Next,
move items that only you can do to the
right side of the page. Then, prioritize
each item on the right side — what must
be done and by when.
The goals focused on now need to
be the most important and most pressing
for the moment. “The goals that deserve
the most attention are those that allow
you to keep your business going,” says
Saraf. “So if revenues are down and
profits are suffering this year, it is time
to do some end-runs to achieve those
goals to the best of your abilities. If
your actions now will better position the
business in the coming year, it is time to
focus on those so that as the new year
approaches, you are better positioned
to move forward in earnest.”
Tackling Your Least
Favorite Goals
Whether it’s an aversion to a particular
task, procrastination, or you just don’t
possess the skills necessary to successfully
accomplish a goal, it’s crucial that you put
any of these roadblocks aside to attain
your year-end goals. “Regardless of your
affinity to doing a particular task or completing
a favorite goal, its importance to
the success of your company must be well
recognized,” says Saraf. “If there is a good
correlation between completing the
task/goal and the future success of the
company, then you must find avenues to
completing that goal.”
Start small, if you can. Eblin
suggests breaking your to-do list into
discrete steps and selecting just one or
two of the easiest ones to tackle immediately.
“Find something to do that’s in
that sweet spot between easy to do and
likely to have an impact,” says Eblin,
author of The Next Level: What Insiders
Know About Executive Success. “Build
some momentum for yourself by starting
with the low hanging fruit.”
Saraf suggests delegating such tasks,
hiring experts, asking others for help or
even looking to others who have completed
such tasks for inspiration. Balsiger
advises executives to create a team that
can help address those goals they are
reluctant to work on. Another option,
he notes, is to recruit a “partner” or
co-sponsor who “allows us to tap into
their knowledge base, creating additional
shareholders for our task, while at the
same time help to moderate some of
our fear and reluctance.”
“You cannot afford to let your
aversion to completing an important
task get in the way of your company’s
success,” adds Saraf. “That is selfish and
self-defeating. Besides, conquering something
new by overcoming your aversion
to a task that is abhorrent to you, but
which must be done as a part of your
duty, is inherently rewarding.”
Looking Ahead to 2010
Of course, now is the ideal time to look
toward 2010 and determine the goals
you want and need to accomplish in the
new year. Just as executives must balance
their remaining goals for 2009 between
individual and organizational objectives,
goals for next year need to be crafted in
conjunction with the current year’s goals.
To help figure out where your focus
should be next year, Goldberg suggests
identifying the biggest challenges faced
by your company in 2009. He stresses
that executives should seek feedback
about what those challenges are.
“Improving efficiencies is always a good
thing to look at, but a great approach
would be to ask managers and staff what
improvements they feel should or could
be made,” Goldberg notes. “If you allow
others to have ‘skin in the game,’ you’ll
almost always be on track and have
support executing goals.”
Also, ensure there is always a balance
between short-term and long-term goals,
recommends Lantz, who says it’s even
more important for executives to double-check
that they are focused on the right
goals. “This is done when they keep
an eye on the bigger strategy instead
of getting lost in day-to-day activities,”
says Lantz. “Larger strategic objectives
typically stay more consistent. However,
in this business environment, specific
goals can and should change. Being
flexible is key.”
