All the best for 2020!

First and foremost I would like to wish you and your close ones a very happy, successful and above all healthy 2020! 

I assume I need not explain that health and enjoyment in work and private life are the most crucial elements for making sure you are rightly energized and balanced to stay a happy and successful manager!

Speaking out of personal experience, I know what it means if those aspects are ignored. So, I will repeat this message once more: #1 on your wish list must always be health and pleasure!

Now that we have this cleared out, starting a new year always adds a special energy boost to ones' (working) life. It is a time to praise past achievements, reflect, set new objectives, work out new creative ideas and transfer your energy the team.

Here are some suggestions you might want to consider to add to your own wish list or maybe bring you to other new thoughts.

• I need not tell you that people are the most important asset for you as a manager. Make sure you praise past achievements and carefully plot attention to your employees as a standard practice in 2020.
• If not in your plan, consider teambuilding sessions.
• Communicate, communicate, communicate. I can not stress enough the importance of taking your team by the hand to ongoingly explain, educate and coach them in your mission and your objectives, the good and the bad. Do not assume 'they' should know... Make a communication plan that stretches the full year. And if there are developments that might impact your team you cannot talk about, say so!
• Diversity. Hire and/or attract new people with the right competences for the job, but make your best effort to create a diverse team, even if this means that you have to step out of your traditional comfort zone.
• Consider impact of technology trends and review options to translate them within your own domain. The biggest thing in 2020 will be Artificial Intelligence, but there are many other initiatives getting more and more mature, such as cloud usage, cyber security and Industry 4.0 in manufacturing ranging from robotics in process automation to remote services using augmented reality. This might not only affect your domain as a technology, but you may also need to consider bringing in new functions, like for example data scientist, cyber-security specialist and robotics engineer.
• Maybe there are other (no-technical) trends and observations in your sector you need to translate to your plan.
• A new year also gives you the opportunity to reflect on your own performance. Pinpoint at least one improvement area (I am sure no one is perfect, even you...) and put this on your wish list.
• "Ignore the upcoming of Blockchain and you will miss the boat...". This is not my statement, but I fully agree with it! And not because of the technology behind Blockchain, but because of the immense potential of this limited addition to the existing internet technologies that can help to change the way we organize ourselves. If this is new to you, make an item to get acquainted with its power and potential. Without a doubt, I will address this topics in one or more of my next blogs.
• Last blogs we spent a lot of time on Time Management. Maybe one or two ideas stick out and deserve a place on your list. Even if none apply, pls take note to keep ANY of your meetings in 2020, as part of your (daily) routine short and relevant (what does this meeting contribute to our objectives?), and always be prepared.
• Plan and measurement. No need to further explain, but make sure your plan has measurable elements, visible to and understandable by the team. It is good to consider and add some challenging items to your list, that are trigger points to create a positive and even competitive vibe: Maybe linked to some kind of an award or simply endless fame...

One of my personal objectives was to write a separate piece on a different way of working (in Dutch 'Anders werken'). It is intended to present my thoughts to evangelize about the upcoming aging challenges in the Netherlands together with the increased demand of workforce, while decreasing at the same time. Although this short piece is in Dutch and not really targeted towards you, the Middle Management audience, I still thought it to be worthwhile to add to my Blog. I am sure for those who are interested, Google translate will give you the right touch.

One down, but still many good intensions to go on my 2020 bucket list 😉.

I hope and trust you will bring all your good intension to life as well and pls...

In good health and with a big smile all the way!