Get a good start at the office in the new year
London, 9 January 2017
Holidays aren’t completely over yet, so many of you will still be vacationing. The second week of January, at the latest, will see you back at the office, though – a new year filled with new projects, challenges and success stories awaits! Maybe it is going to be the year that sees you getting that coveted promotion, the pay raise that you’ve worked for so hard or the big assignment that is going to show your superiors that you deserve both.
To achieve all this, you should start your new year at the office in stride. Here are our suggestions!1. Don’t plan too many tasks on your first day back at work. If possible, don’t immediately go off to the most important meetings. Not only will you find it rather hard to snap back into full productive mode after two weeks of relaxation, but, with all other things thrown at you at the office (read the next sentence), you’ll risk losing track of your schedule and thusly getting stressed out. It’s best if you start by reading through all the messages you might have got during your time away from the office and setting your priorities for the next days accordingly. And allow for some down time with the colleagues to exchange holiday impressions.2. Review the past year with all things good and bad. What turned out to be a success at work and what didn‘t work exactly as it should have? Remember that there are always wins, as well as losses. By remembering all important milestones of the past year, you can achieve a balanced view and learn from the good, as well as from the bad. What new skills and strengths did you discover about yourself and how can you best further develop and implement those into your work routine? Be honest with yourself and you will find that it will only benefit you!3. Prepare for the yearly performance review. The balanced view of the past year that you have achieved earlier is, at the same time, the best preparation for the yearly performance review. Many companies schedule these conversations close to the beginning of the new year. For you, this will be a good opportunity to find out how much the company and your superiors value your contributions. And the best opportunity to negotiate or at least mention possible pay raises and promotions. You have done the homework and have practical examples from the past year to plead your case!4. Don’t forget about your resolutions. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a healthier diet, more physical activity, giving up smoking or just staying more calm than last year – start doing those things right on your first day. Otherwise you’ll soon be trapped again in your old habits and might come to regret it next year.
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