New Year--New Attitudes

New Year—New Attitudes

As we replace the wall calendar and the doodle sheet that covers our desktop, it is a good time to review procedures, policies and priorities.  This is the time of year that our employees seem to be the most open to new ideas—and the most accepting of change.  To maximize this opportunity, many operations schedule company-wide meetings to communicate with all the employees and provide a forum for feedback and discussion.

 In preparation for this meeting, some of the items that could be reviewed are:

• Any changes in Company Policy that need to be defined and enacted.
• Employee Handbook revisions.
• Updated procedures and production targets.
• Changes in structure and documentation such as a revised Organizational Chart, Performance Evaluations, Job Descriptions, etc.
• Implementation of new guidelines such as new Safety Procedures, Paperwork and Documentation, Performance Tracking, etc.

These are just a few of the areas that could be included.  This is the best time of the year for major changes, so take the opportunity to challenge your employees to begin the New Year with a fresh attitude and a renewed focus.

With national and local economic issues still being major concerns, this meeting can also provide an opportunity for the Owners to instill confidence, provide general financial and production updates, and show their appreciation for the hard work of all the employees in the previous year.

This also seems to be a good time to handle that laundry list of “Pet Peeves” that irritate you but individually don’t justify pulling everyone together to have a meeting.  The items that could be included in this list might be:

·         Timeliness of turning in paperwork.

·         Neatness of records—good handwriting.

·         General neatness of work areas.

·         Employee parking and minor driving issues.

·         Organization and care of tools and equipment.

·         Appearance of production sites.

·         General attitudes.

Have a Profitable, Productive and Rewarding New Year!

Don Tyler

Tyler & Associates