Resolutions for the New Year

A new year means a fresh start, which can be both exciting and nerve-racking. It is like a fresh sheet of paper -- clean, undisturbed and full of possibility yet daunting, as that first mark/letter/word can direct the where everything goes from there. 

While PR programs can and should be continuous from day to day, month to month, year to year, giving your team the opportunity to review and reset with the beginning of the year is important. We all tend to make resolutions with the beginning of the year, why not make some for your PR program?

Here are a few ideas and suggestions for possible PR resolutions for 2018:

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Celebrate the wins. Take the time at the beginning of the year, as well as various times throughout the year to celebrate the wins, both big and small. These reflective moments allow the team to stay motivated and acknowledge how their day-to-day work is moving the needle on larger initiatives. It can be difficult to see them when you go-go-go from one announcement to the next.

Set realistic goals. This one can be tough as we all can get eager and overly ambitious on what is possible but in order to keep morale and energy high across the team and leadership, it is important to get expectations at the beginning of the year.

This doesn't mean you should sandbag your KPIs, but rather look at what can reasonably be accomplished with your current staffing scenario, budgets and other resources. It is also important to set a few stretch goals alongside what you think it totally possible. How can you and your team go above and beyond if the stars align?

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Focus on the big picture. We can all get bogged down with day-to-day tactics so it is important to step back from time to time and make sure you are doing what is necessary to move the business forward, not just checkboxes and appease certain stakeholders. Look back at your key themes, messages and objectives for the year. Does your current project fit into one of these buckets? If not, have the team's priorities changed or can this be de-prioritized for something that will align with your agreed upon strategy? Make sure you are doing PR for the right reasons! 

What are your resolutions for 2018?