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“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is my wish for all of you as we start a new year!
Every year at this time, it’s tradition to make a few resolutions for the new year. And most resolutions are very personal. Many people really want to lose a few pounds, so more exercise and a better diet will be on their list for 2010. Or it may be the desire to be a better spouse and parent, so more time with the family would make the list. Improving organizational skills in the new year is another common resolution that many make.
All of these are worthy and commendable resolutions. But what about making a few professional resolutions? What should be on your list of work-related resolutions for 2010? Here are 5 resolutions you might want to consider for the coming year:
Frequently I’m asked, “What is the one thing that sets really great employees apart from the rest?” It’s an interesting question. I’m always surprised that people would assume that there might be a single common thread that ties all the best employees together. The questioners assume there is a single trait shared by the best employees instead of thinking that what makes the best employees, well, the best, is their individuality and personal strengths.
I typically answer their question with a single word, “Yes.” I do believe there is a single trait that is shared by all of the best people I have worked with over the years.
Roy Williams, men’s head basketball coach at the University of North Carolina, recently won his 600th game, becoming only the 33rd coach in NCAA Division I history to win that many games. When asked about the milestone Williams replied, “Six hundred wins means I’ve been very lucky. It’s a lot of great players and great assistant coaches.”
A couple of things interested me about Williams’ response. First, here’s a guy who just became the third-fastest NCAA Division coach to reach 600 wins and he’s chalking it up to luck. He’s saying that it’s good fortune that allowed him to be so successful. Second, he’s sharing the credit with the hundreds of players he’s coached and the dozens of assistants he’s worked with in his 21-year career. In other words, “it’s not me, it’s us.”
I recently handed a newspaper column written by Financial Times columnist Luke Johnson to my 18-year old son for him to read. I knew that my son would like Mr. Johnson’s message. The column topic was the “clash of generations under way at the top of so many organizations.” His premise was that we are now in the Digital Age, yet most of those in leadership positions came of age in an old technology world and, therefore, are not “digital natives.”
So far, not much to argue with. We are certainly living in the digital age. And most of top management are old enough to remember the workplace without desktop computers.
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