This year has certainly been recorded in the world history book because of the global pandemic and its ripple effects of unbelievable social and economic challenges. Before we even noticed, the year 2020 is nearly gone and about to say goodbye to us. People may begin thinking of what targets they want to achieve, what skills they want to improve, what behaviors of them they want to develop, and so on as their New Year resolutions. 

When it comes to making New Year resolutions, most people tend to think only about personal goals like losing weight, exercising more, or to stop smoking. But New Year Resolutions can also be made to improve your professional life. If employers or HR experts encourage people in their organizations to set New Year resolutions which are specific and real for their professional fields or workplace, or help achieve their resolutions, their employees can boost their performance for the upcoming year. 

Setting a new resolution for New Year is easy, but persisting until it is achieved is easier said than done. Research* shows that 46% of people do keep resolutions for at least six months, and 8% keep them for the entire year. So, how can employers help their employees keep their resolutions throughout the year? 

Firstly, it will be better when employers encourage their people to see the difference between resolution and a goal. A goal is the exact amount of numbers to hit that keeps everyone aligned and aiming for the same target, for example, increase sales revenue 30% in the next year. But, a resolution is something different. It is a system or a process to reach that goal and produce your work like improving communication with suppliers, or supporting work/life balance for the team, etc. 

Secondly, employers should create a system that effectively works for their employees to reach their goals. Some industry-leading companies in Myanmar have created a company culture that can encourage growth and empower employees to persist with their commitments. When it is near to the end of a year, every employee has to sit with their successive supervisors or HR managers and reflect their work situation, outcomes, challenges, threats, what they need to or want to improve something which can support their tasks to be productive and develop their skills, and what kind of support they want from the company, etc. They help their team members set aims which are simple, achievable, and measurable. 

Then, when the employees have started to act on their commitments during the new year, the company should continuously assess if they can reach or achieve what they promise for themselves and for the organization. This practice is very effective and can make employees engage with their employer and also make sure that employees stay on the track. 

Now, companies in Myanmar are planning new projects for 2021 even though there are still some uncertainties. They also set new goals for their businesses and people, and as employees are generally considered the greatest asset of any organization, encouraging their work resolutions for New Year will ultimately also enhance the achievement of business goals.  

*https://wavelength.asana.com/workstyle-new-years-resolutions-at-work/#close 

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