So… how was your 2021? It was an extremely challenging year for many, and although we thought we’d seen the end of pandemic-related challenges at the end of 2020, it has seemed 2022 has started in a similar fashion.
Keeping this in mind, it is safe to assume 2022 may have its own challenges and continuation of disruption, so how can we plan and prepare when so little is certain?
Here are five things to leave in 2021, as we enter a tentatively ‘new’ year.
There are many unknowns for 2022, and with circumstances ever changing, it can be hard to plan for more than a day in advance.
However, the silver lining is that we may be on the other side of some of the worst times within the pandemic, and have now built the skills and resilience to remain adaptable and flexible, regardless of what’s thrown at us.
Moving into 2022, as a business, you may be exposed to new challenges, barriers AND opportunities. Remain open to the things that may open up chances to innovate processes, procedures and how your approach work.
After the last two years, we are all now well-rehearsed at this.
However, it is important to remain true and focused on your overarching business vision and mission, circumstances will require us to build in flexibility into strategic planning.
Think of it this way; never lose sight of your north star (your business vision, purpose, and mission), but the road you take to get there may not be the conventional or assumed route.
Keep communication open with your team, by using regular check-ins, group planning days, and identifying any personal or professional barriers that may be preventing them from reaching a goal, and provide permission to change the strategy or roadmap to get to the destination.
Hybrid-styles of working will continue to evolve and strengthen as a preferred choice of working style for your team.
In many cases, the pandemic has proven that teams can effectively work from any destination and remain productive, if not driving even more efficient outcomes.
Being able to work in a way that is flexible and caters to a range of employee needs has seen businesses with higher levels of engagement and staff retention.
However, ensure you are regularly checking in with staff and assessing their personal preference for working from home vs in the office.
You may want to implement a blend of WFH days and office days where the whole team is in for the day.
As technology evolves, ‘death of the email’ is lurking around the corner.
It has been shown that many organisations and individuals alike are beginning to communicate more regularly via collaborative workspaces, with the incremental phase-out and replacement of traditional methods — like phone and email.
These include the rise of task management tools such as Teams, Slack, Monday.com and Asana.
There are many benefits to utilising these tools, including increased team visibility, higher accountability and easier project hand-over methods.
Mental health and wellbeing continued to be a growing issue in 2021, with the pandemic reaching exhaustive proportions and disruptions.
With more restrictions, illness and limited personal freedoms expected to be an ongoing disruptor in 2022, it is more than ever important for workplaces to provide support for teams.
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that “we’re all in this together”, and this applies to taking care of each other in the workplace.
Want to start your year fresh and with a bang? Are you ready to step into the next level of your leadership, business growth and potential?
Take our signature Bespoke HR Culture IQ Score to see how you benchmark against 13 key areas of business, and where your strengths and opportunities lie.
This fully customised report will address the areas in your business that may be leading to people problems, productivity bottlenecks and lower levels of engagement and staff retention.
Take the FREE assessment here. It takes 10 minutes to complete.
created with