Jog on January 🏃

The park was bitter this morning, yet still brimming with those keen people working their way around the perimeter: showing off their Christmas kit, nearly half way through the month and towards their January goals, a symphony of Sweaty Betty, Under Armour and Lululemon.

I however was on a more gentle path. Having committed to my own fitness goals for this month (I’m down with the NY drill just as much as the next person…)  and even going so far as kitting up myself with my own new fancy leggings and trail shoes over the Christmas period,  my personal journey however started with a bang and very quickly turned to a cough and splutter as a rogue Winter lurghy took hold of our household. This left me bed bound and bathing in Olbas oil for several days. Not quite the New Years plans that are worth a post on Insta…. 

A few years ago I may well have forsaken my rest and ploughed on through or felt guilty as hell that I’d already failed to keep up with nailing my goals at only the two week mark. But perhaps it’s something to do with approaching an ahem, ‘significant’ birthday this year, that I’m far more attuned to my health than I used to be. And so, rest I did. 

I decided to surrender to whatever was breathing up my body and just ease myself into January, however it showed up this year. I didn’t put pressure on myself, I didn’t beat myself up. And despite having some pretty specific things I wanted to achieve this first couple of weeks, I acknowledged that sometimes, despite the best of intentions, plans go awry and it’s best just to gently change your course. 

And it’s the same with your People goals. It may not be illness that’s holding you up from making progress on your intentions in this department, but another change in circumstance or just good old fashioned procrastination that hits us all from time to time. Either way, just ease yourself in gently by looking at a couple of things which are going to help your team’s performance this year.

Instead of killing yourself to make sure all your team have a full set of OKRs by the end of the month, how about doing some of the following instead: 

• Catch up individually: just working through having catch ups with each of them, making sure they’re clear on what you want them to prioritise for this first quarter, but also ensuring that they have the support they need to achieve these goals. These catch-ups can be informal and more about connecting with your team members on a personal level. Understand their own goals for the year as well as challenges, and offer guidance that aligns with their individual strengths..
• Adopt a Flexible Approach to Goal Setting: Given the unpredictability of current times, setting rigid goals might not be the best approach. Encourage a flexible mindset where goals can adapt to changing circumstances. This approach reduces pressure on both you and your team and fosters an environment where everyone feels more in control and less stressed about the unknown.
• Implement Gratitude Practices: Encourage team members to share small wins or things they are grateful for in team meetings, fostering a positive work environment.
• Introduce wellness walks: January is a great month to introduce small wellness initiatives that don’t require a lot of effort but have significant impact. This could include lunchtime walk and talk meetings to kill two birds with one stone!
• Be Available and Approachable: Finally, make sure that you are available and approachable. Sometimes, team members just need to know that they can come to you with their concerns or ideas. Open-door policies, regular one-on-ones, or simply checking in with your team can make a huge difference in how supported they feel.

If you’re interested in cutting down your to-do lists and getting the experts in to help you take your People & HR plans to the next level, contact us via  hello@thehrhub.co.uk or call on 020 3951 1208