Get the lowdown on our New Year resolutions for your organisation in 2018 Copyright: eamesbot / 123RF Stock Photo
It’s that time again. That time when we start to think about what we can do differently as the new year hurtles towards us. For most organisations, this will be things like increasing turnover, expanding in size, and taking on more staff. That’s nothing wrong that – they’re all really good areas to look at, and we’d say go for it.
However, we’ve come up with a few alternative new year resolutions to consider for your organisation. You might feel some aren’t as important as others and might not help grow your bottom line. That’s fine. They might not all be relevant, and you might not want to implement them all (maybe you already have), but they’re worth thinking about as they’ll help the wellbeing and happiness of your staff in most cases.
Create a Code of Conduct
We’ve gone with this one first because we think it’s probably the single-most important thing you can do in your organisation if you haven’t already. We’re pretty sure you don’t need us to go into details why, but read any newspaper or news website from the last four months or so and you’ll find a story about an abuse of power and improper conduct. A properly documented Code of Conduct means your people will have somewhere to turn if anything happens and shows them you’re taking the issue seriously.
Close the pay gap
Another big issue for 2017 (we wrote about it many times). And we expect it’ll stay that way in 2018 as all companies with more than 250 companies will have to publish the average salaries of male and female employees for all to see. Those organisations with a huge chasm between the two will have to explain why, and what they’re doing to make it better. They’ll also, no doubt, come under serious scrutiny in the media. So if that sounds like you, better get things in order now and close the gap.
Talk about mental health issues
One of the main reasons mental health issues are such a stigma is because no-one likes talking about it. It’s uncomfortable for both those suffering from it and their managers at work. But it’s another big area of focus for 2018 with even Theresa May getting involved. By being prepared to open-up about mental health and creating a framework of how to deal with it, you’ll help everyone within your organisation understand it more and stop it being such a stigma, so get talking.
Listen to everyone
One of the biggest gripes people have in organisations is that they’re not listened to, especially when they’re- not happy. Giving your employees a voice – and listening to what it’s saying – is an easy thing to do in 2018. Start by encouraging openness and honesty, asking people for their opinion and getting them involved, even if it’s something you might not want to hear (the not-so-good stuff is just as important as the good stuff).
And a final one from us… be nice to each other
In life as well as in organisations, you get more from other people if you’re nice to them. This year has been dominated by people not being treated fairly or being abused by someone in power, so let’s put a stop to it and make 2018 the year of equality and kindness. We can do it if we all pull together.
Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas from the team at Just Libra and hope you all have a fantastic festive season.
