All year resolutions: the need to be more daring

As we carefully emerge from lockdown in the UK and try to find a new norm, I thought it would be interesting to consider the concept of resolutions and how we can all be more daring. Many people make these in the new year and then by mid-January they have failed.  I’ve never liked the concept of new year resolutions for this very reason as they put too much pressure on people at the most depressing and grey time of the year. 

To be frank, I think new year resolutions are a distraction and an unwelcome pressure when people are really in need of a cathartic period following the excesses of Christmas and New Year. I encourage my team to make resolutions all year and be more adventurous, to push themselves and to move out of their comfort zones.  Brilliant ideas and creativity happen when we move into new territories and engage new behaviours.

On a media briefing last week I was asked what my learnings from lockdown are and what advice I give to other business owners as the restrictions ease. My answer to this is two-fold.

Firstly, as businesses re-grow and re-build, not to hold onto under performing staff who don’t put the effort in or personally value the investment you make in them.  The job market is savagely competitive at the moment and the supply of job seekers is sky high – which means employers can be more fussy. But, balanced with this is the fact that many businesses in this country were nearly lost and those that have survived are far from in the clear yet. Tough times are ahead for our economy and we are lucky to have jobs in the current climate.

Secondly, to embrace change and try new ways of doing everything, because there is always a smarter way of working or doing something.  The status quo has gone. There is a tide of change sweeping across the world and this is impacting us all in various elements of our work and lives. The lines are blurred and we need to adapt and change in order to thrive – both as individuals, teams and businesses.

Recently I’ve reviewed a lot of our internal processes, systems and methodologies to ensure our business is more robust moving forward and continues to deliver excellence to our clients.  Growth is important but this needs to be handled at the right pace and not become a mad ‘pitch for everything’ approach – we are lucky to have won clients during lockdown and made three junior hires for PR trainees who join in the coming months.

My goal for the remainder of 2020 is simply to run a smarter thinking and more efficiently operating business. Whilst retaining its fun, dynamic and employee-centric culture.

How will we deliver this? Do the very best work. Be proud and kind.