The New Year just began and already people are setting goals and implementing new practices throughout the workplace. Sadly, The University of Scranton reports that 92% of people will fail at accomplishing their New Year’s goals. This can come off as defeating to leaders of organizations trying to adopt company-wide goals. However, there should be something said about the power in numbers. Goals in the workplace can have positives outcomes with a little CHANGE. One just needs to know how to make them stick. So, if you want your idea to last past the third week of January, follow the guidelines for effective CHANGE:

C—Communication

If there’s going to be any real change within your company, then the channels of communication must remain open. After all, can you think of one success story that came from NOT communicating? Allow for open and clear communication up and down the professional ladder as well throughout teams. Also, if a change is going to occur, be clear on why the change needs to occur, and what it means to the company.

H—Have clear expectations in place

Set clear expectations from the beginning. When a change occurs in an organization, it’s important for everyone in the company to understand why those changes happened and how it will affect them individually. Confusion equals disruption in workflow, so take the time to set the stage up front. By outlining clear expectations for every team member, you prevent future confusion and lay an easy path for them to achieve the company’s goals. 

A—Are the correct systems in place?

Now that you’ve decided to set new goals for your business, do you have the right resources? Are there any people, processes, or systems that would get in the way of success?  Your system of communication is vital – are all managers on board? Is there a system for communicating down through the company?    

N—Never assume or rush into things

A good rule of thumb: never assume anything. If you haven’t mentioned your goal since it was first implemented, don’t assume everything’s fine. Take time to analyze what progress has been made. Relying on everyone to do their part isn’t enough, so keep communication channels open within your team and perform frequent check-ins.  

G—Gain a sense of measurement

A goal lasts longer when it exists in reality and not just in the mind. Solution: write your company’s goal down preferably where people can see them. Does your goal have a timeline? When there are clear milestones in place, goals become concrete and actionable rather than something broad and distant.

E—Encourage and provide support

A goal will grow or die depending on a company’s approach. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to develop the right people to make your business successful. As a leader, beyond expectations and accountability, you need to show encouragement and support to everyone involved. During both good or bad times, a leader’s passion and commitment can uplift the team and keep everyone focused.  

Achieving your company’s biggest goals this year can happen, but it all depends on the communication, accountability, and support structures that are set in place for your team.  Use the CHANGE method as a starting point to achieve lasting success.