With a new year comes new beginnings and a new outlook – it’s time for you to move forward as a leader and reflect on everything that has happened in the previous year. It’s time for you to learn from your mistakes within the previous year and find out what those above and below you want to achieve and consider how you can do this. So here are some changes that you should take into account and questions that you need to ask of yourself and others before you proceed as a leader.

<strong>Reflection – Analysis of the Previous Year</strong>
One of the first things that you should do upon returning to work is to take into consideration all that has taken place within the previous year and how this has affected yourself, your colleagues and the company.

Whilst reflecting think about your performance, is there anything that you could improve on or have you made any mistakes that you can learn from or create preventative measures to avoid this situation in the future.

You should also arrange performance reviews with your colleagues or employees and discuss with them how you would like them to improve or praise them for the good work that they have already done.

Another aspect of the previous year that you should think about in detail is what the company has achieved – if you think about how much the company has already grown and the areas in which it has developed the most you can decide upon which aspects should be of the highest priority in the following year.

<strong>Considering the Year to Come</strong>
As a leader of a company or a business it’s your job to think about the direction that you should take with the company and think about how you would like to push forward throughout the year – but you don’t have to conceive the idea yourself.

During the performance reviews with either your colleagues or your employees it’s wise for you to ask them what they would like to achieve within the next year and think about how you can aid them in their endeavours – this is also your chance to discover how they feel about the company and their beliefs upon the direction that it should take. It’s the opinions of employees and colleagues that often carry the company further than a single mind can.

<strong>Planning Ahead and Making Changes</strong>
It’s essential that you begin to plan the changes that you will be making within the company at a very early stage in the year so that you can follow these changes throughout the rest of the year. However, it’s important to remember that your plan must be adaptable and should change and develop with the wants and needs of the organisation and your employees.

Make small changes to begin with, for instance, have you noticed within the previous year that any of your department or employees have skills that could be utilised within a different section of the company? If your staff have skills that would be of a greater benefit in a different area of the company you should talk to the individual about either promoting them or moving them – try to put the move in a positive light to decrease the chances of the individual complaining or hesitating regarding the transfer.

On a similar note, keep an eye on the individuals whom you believe are not qualified enough to work within a specific department in the organisation; if they are not completing work on time or do not complete their work to a good standard this is your chance as a leader to prove that you are fair. Talk to the individual about their performance before issuing a formal warning as this will give them the chance to improve and will better your reputation amongst your employees.

Creating a budget at the beginning of the year from data that you have collected within the previous year is another task that must be done. Ensure that the budget is realistic and stick to it where possible to prevent financial issues or errors from occurring.

There are many other responsibilities that will fall to you due to the role that you play within the organisation, but remember that you can always talk to your colleagues or senior members of staff regarding your concerns - you do not have to carry the burden alone, and asking others for advice will assist you in building better business relationships.