Close Out: 6 Ways To End The Year Stronger At Wortk

With these strategies, you can end 2019 neatly and start 2020 with optimism.

I have been tempted to send end of the year emails to colleagues who routinely fail to respond to necessary emails with: “The year is almost over, can you please answer this question from July?” But I know that is not a good idea.

Whether you are an entrepreneur with a small business, or a manager in a large corporation, you will want to get your records and files in order. So in the final weeks of 2019, it is a better idea to tie up loose ends, close out projects, send important messages and set strategies for the coming year. While all will not be neat and tidy, here are suggestions to ease the transition from December into January 2020.

“In the final weeks of #2019, it is a better idea to tie up loose ends. @Takeleadwomen has suggestions to ease the transition from December into January 2020. #WorkAdvice”

1.       Assess employee, team member progress. If you manage an entire department or even a project team, get reviews on file. Assign kudos where deserved and put warning flags where they need to go. “To help improve morale and reduce turnover, it’s important to evaluate your staff and identify how top performers will play a role in achieving your future goals. The end of the year is also a time to reward key employees with bonuses, which often strengthens loyalty and your team atmosphere,” according to the Idaho State Journal.

“Assess employee, team member progress. If you manage an entire department or even a project team, get reviews on file. #EndofYear #Advice”

2.      Keep the green clean. You need to know where your money is going and where it has gone, as well as where it needs to go. “Keeping your books nice and tidy is an essential part of staying up-to-date for income tax season. And let’s face it, no business owner wants to be scrambling at the last minute. Here are just a few of the things you should be doing at year-end to get your books in order: Gather financial statements; count and cross-check inventory; organize business receipts; reconcile bank accounts,” writes Mike Kappel in Forbes.

“Keep the green clean. You need to know where your money is going and where it has gone, as well as where it needs to go. #NewYear #MoneyAdvice”

3.      Communicate with key clients. This is not about sending holiday cards or a gratuitous thank you gift. Talk specific gratitude and outcomes, and also set a specific goal for the future. According to Jodi Chavez in CPA Practice Advisor, “You've done well to stay alert all year long for your clients, so don't let your guard down now just because the year is ending. In fact, it's a great time to increase your activity while competitors may be taking their foot off the gas. This time of year brings along plenty of opportunities to win new business and deepen your existing client relationships. The point is to amp up the intensity on the services you provide and stay abreast of all the unique client opportunities that this time of year can provide.”

“#Communicate with key clients. Talk specific gratitude and outcomes, and also set a specific #goal for the future. #GoalSetting #BusinessAdvice”

4.      Map out a plan. Dream big and make sure you communicate the goals. “One of the best ways to begin the process is to look back on the last year and make a note of your business achievements,” Jacob Wolinksy writes in Value Walk. “Take a moment to reflect on these things, share them with your employees, and make sure to recognize them for their involvement. Creating an environment of teamwork and appreciation goes a long way. Plus, it’s important to understand what worked well and what didn’t in order to maximize productivity in the coming months. When reflecting on the previous year, some questions to ask yourself are: What milestones did you accomplish? And what obstacles did you overcome? What best practices did you implement? Have you been able to standardize operations across multiple stores to reduce expenses? Do you really understand what your customers want and need?”

“Map out a plan. #DreamBig and make sure you communicate the goals. #Entrepreneurship #BusinessWomen #2020”

5.      Clean off your desk, get ready for what’s next. This may sound petty and inconsequential, but the benefits of a literal clean start to the year are many. You not only can find things more easily, but people don’t judge you negatively. “People with unorganized workspaces are viewed by their bosses and colleagues as being more neurotic and less agreeable than employees with neater desks, a 2018 study by the University of Michigan has found,” according to Market Watch. “Being messy and unorganized can have an adverse effect on your relationships at work or in your personal life, too, the study noted. If people associate a messy person with being careless, then these impressions could negatively impact how they interact with you personally or professionally. And researchers suggest that once a boss or colleague has established this bias from your messy workspace, they will start behaving differently towards you.”

“Clean off your desk, get ready for what’s next. This may sound petty and inconsequential, but the benefits of a literal clean start to the year are many. #CleanStart #WorkAdvice”

6.      Be positive. Optimism is easy when you are thinking about a new year. And many female entrepreneurs are doing just that. Caroline Ceniza-Levine writes in Forbes about the Bank of America Small Business Owner Report Survey for 2019, “Female small business owners are more optimistic going into next year than male small business owners. Eighty four percent of women small business owners expect year-over-year growth. In the plan to expand – 73% women compared to 66% of men. Expect revenue to increase – 62% women v 55% men. Plan to hire – 25% women v 23% men.”

“#Bepositive. #Optimism is easy when you are thinking about a new year. And many #FemaleEntrepreneurs are doing just that. ”

The end of the year for you is about closing out and measuring progress and also about setting new goals for success so that 2020 can indeed be a happy new year.

“The end of the year for you is about closing out and measuring #progress and also about setting new #goals for success so that #2020 can indeed be a #HappyNewYear. ”