11 months to go. What’s the plan?
Yep. We now have 11 months of 2022 to go and you are back to the realities of work and far from your beachside deck chair. Holiday blues anyone?
I had a fabulous holiday tripping around NZ with the family. I didn’t open my laptop for 3 weeks and emails only checked for travel details and online shopping. It was bliss and well overdue. I have already booked our holiday for summer 2022 as something to look forward to! I really valued the opportunity to truly disconnect from work and reconnect with my family, as well as reflect on how things have been going and then look at 2022 through a different lens.
Just so you know, I am not going to use your precious reading time to preach what all the issues are in the world today and then tell you what your priorities should be. I will instead give you a taster because if you have been keeping an eye on the news headlines you will already know what these are. Also further below I have included a summary on the changes in the pipeline for this year.
What does 2022 hold for employers and employees?
When the clock struck 12am on 1 January 2022, a magic wand didn’t fix everything that was broken from 2021. [sigh] Like many others, I am expecting 2022 to be just as disruptive and frustrating but I feel more prepared for it than I did this time last year. Even if we have to self-isolate for 24 days! How about you?
In the coming weeks you will get a series of short blogs covering more about why the priorities for 2022 are indeed priorities for business leaders. Some are covid related and others are just generally important if you want your business and team to thrive.
- Vaccination policies and response plans
- Employee retention and candidate attraction strategies
- Hybrid working models and culture
- Health and wellbeing (heard of Pandemic Flux Syndrome?)AI for HR
- Succession planning
- Introduction of Matariki as a paid public holiday
- Holidays Act reform
This list of things to have on your radar are diverse and you may not have considered some of these topics before. While in contrast some of us in the employment profession have been considering these topics for some time. I believe we are reaching the tipping point where these already are or are soon to be mainstream conversation topics.
If any of these topics spark your interest and curiosity please reach out. I would enjoy having a conversation with you about it.
I have shared with you what the priorities are in the HR world, now what is on the agenda for Stapleton Consulting for 2022?
2022 will be a year of growth and we have started it with a team development session in the first week. No mucking around here. On the first Wednesday back our Clifton Strengths and Working Genius’ were revealed, and we talked through what these triggered in us and our reflections, and then what it meant for the team dynamics. So good to start the year with that discussion, and have a skilled facilitator, Tracey Olivier to guide us. After all, half of the team have only been working with me for a year or less, and we may only see each other in person once a month. Awareness of what each of us brings to the team is needed if we are going to be successful.
Each year I pick 2-3 words or a phrase that will be the theme for the year to come. It is like my mantra and north star. I am not a big fan of goal setting, and that is a different discussion. 2020, was incremental growth and connections. Interestingly, in the context of that year, these words were quite important in keeping me going and focused. Then 2021 was explore and consolidate. If you have been working with me for a while you may quickly identify with how these words have influenced the business and team.
So now we come to 2022.
This year it is growth, systems and connection.
Growth because we must keep learning and refining our expertise, as well as grow together as a team. Then as a business we need to grow in several areas.
Then systems came about because we need to resolve the growing pains felt in 2021. Our systems provide the scaffolding and structure we need to make the journey smoother for everyone and these keep us connected. We could have done some projects much better than we did, and now I can see why.
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” James Clear, Atomic Habits
After hearing this quote by James Clear, I am more convinced that ever about the importance of systems. The quote above reminds me that if you don’t have a system to support your goals and understand how to use that system to its full potential, and commit to using that system, then good luck achieving those goals.
Then finally connection is about bringing it altogether – the people, the expertise and the systems to deliver great a service that you want more of.
To make it happen, we have to make some changes this year.
- From 1 March 2022, our fees will be increasing. After 3 years of little to no change, it is time. It is not an unreasonable increase, and we will continue to show flexibility in our pricing using various factors such as nature of the work, timeframes and expertise required etc. For those on retainers or subscriptions, the fees will be discussed at your next review.
- DIY HR will get a makeover later this year now I am clearer on how to position it and share it with the world. If you are interested in an online self-help portal please let me know. I’d love to pick your brain!
- I will be taking on more of an operational leadership role, than consulting. The strengths work we did as a team, supports this move so the next stage of the evolution can occur. Don’t worry, I will still be connected with you and be doing some consulting. I just won’t be doing as much as I have been and will be selective in the type of work I will get involved in
- Deryl (HR Consultant) and Ashlea (Legal Consultant) will be increasing their hours over the next 6 months. If you need regular HR support, on-site or remotely, or have been putting off that policy review please get in touch.
- For those who know where the team lives during working hours, you will know that we need a bigger office space for the team to work from. So, if you or a business you know has around 70-90 sqm available, a meeting room we can use and kitchen facilities, and it is in Hamilton, please let me know.
- For clients working with us regularly, keep an eye out for a cool partnership initiative I am developing with someone who is working in their sweet spot. I believe this will accelerate any HR initiatives we assist with by stepping up the team culture, or quickly diagnosing those pain points and frustrations in your team.
With growth, systems and connection on the table for 2022, you can now appreciate why these changes are happening.
If there are people projects such as vision and values, restructures, recruitment advertising campaigns and systems changes on your plans for 2022, please reach out for a call and ask – I would like to do [fill in the blank] can you help and how much, or do you know someone who can help with [fill in the blank]?
