In HR as in other fields, it is important to reflect on successes and set goals for the future at checkpoints throughout the year. July is a great time to do just that! With half of the year behind us and the other half standing at the ready, let’s review the year thus far and create a strategy to finish the year strong!
Key Learnings
When looking back on the year it is important to think about key achievements or milestones. Those achievements could have been during open enrollment when the renewal came in under budget and went smoothly due to your strategic planning and partnership with a great broker. Other achievements could have been in onboarding difficult to fill positions, creating new processes utilizing technology, new and improved employee engagement initiatives that impacted retention or diversity and inclusion programs that were championed internally. Wherever your focus was for the first half of 2024, take some time now to celebrate your achievements.
It is also important to reflect on the challenges you faced during the first half of the year. Were those challenges expected or did they come as a surprise? How did your organization deal with those challenges as a cohesive team, or did they struggle to find resolutions? Did your HR team perform as expected or are there some coaching or upskilling opportunities ahead? What lessons did you learn and how did the organization or HR team emerge from those challenges? Challenges come in all shapes and sizes and cannot always be predicted. What is important is that the mechanisms to deal with tough situations are in place and are constantly growing and adapting.
Strategic Plans for the Future
Once you have reflected on your achievements and challenges from the first half of the year, it is time to look forward to the remainder of 2024. What goals did you start the year with and what is your progress on achieving those goals? Do the goals still align with your projection or are they way off from where you were six months ago? Your goals could be improving employee retention, enhanced training programs, or fostering a more inclusive workplace. Do these goals align with your organization’s goals for the remainder of the year? It is difficult to exceed our goals when our organization is rowing in a different direction.
Reflecting on or revising strategic initiatives is another way to finish the year strong. Did you start 2024 knowing that your HCM was in desperate need of replacing? What is your progress on implementing that new technology? If you are behind, then now is the time to kick it into gear and make this priority a reality! Other strategic initiatives could be implementing a new wellness program or revising performance management programs before the end of the year. These strategic initiatives are important for your organization as well as your personal performance evaluation for the year. With the proper focus and alignment now, you can easily make great progress before year end.
Go, Go, Go!!!
Once you’ve reflected on the first half of the year and made strategic plans for the remainder of the year, it is time to go! Make a plan and keep the momentum going. Check back in with your goals on a regular basis to see where you are heading. Write your goals on a sticky note and paste them on your computer monitor to constantly remind yourself of them! It is easy to file a document away and forget about it! Now is not the time for filing. You’ve done the heavy lifting to get to this point, keep moving forward and finish strong! Stay focused and you will be amazed at what you can achieve in the next six months.
Here is a link to learn more about creating SMART goals. The Ultimate Guide to S.M.A.R.T. Goals – Forbes Advisor