One of the best ways to start off a new year is to self-assess your progress over the past year. It can seem like a big or abstract task, but if you break it up into a few practical questions you can answer, it can be a great way to get a pulse on how you progressed over the year and what things you might want to focus on in the year ahead.
The first step in assessing progress is always related to goal setting. If you did hit your goals, did you blow them out of the water? Did you aim too low? If you didn’t hit your goals, did you miss by a lot? Were they unattainable?
Setting goals that are realistic and attainable yet still push you to do great work is very important. If you aim too high and miss, it can leave you feeling defeated. If you aim too low, you aren’t pushing yourself to your fullest potential.
Ask your team for feedback, or conduct a blind survey of the people you lead. How you lead your team can affect their productivity and satisfaction levels, which in turn affects yours. Setting metrics for your team can be a little bit more difficult, but a good place to start is with your team goals and the individual goals of the team members you lead. Did they each, and your team together, hit their goals? Taking some time to do a one-on-one evaluation with each team member is important in realizing how effective of a leader you have been this past year.
Were you proactive and able to anticipate their needs, or did you need to constantly be given direction and need feedback? Supporting and leading up should be a goal of any staff member, as it frees up leadership to focus more on big picture projects and initiatives. If you believe in the mission of what your church or organization is trying to accomplish, supporting your leadership should be a personal goal for you to strive for!
Are you in better or worse physical shape from this time last year? Are you getting more or less sleep now? Are you more stressed or more calm? Do you feel “filled up” spiritually or drained? When you are setting goals for next year make sure you are including things in the self-care categories and not just work-related goals. How you feel is going to affect the quality of your work.
Did I go to any conferences or seek out coaching this year? No matter how good or efficient you are there are always new and exciting way to expand your knowledge or make you a better leader. You should make sure you are committed some time and or resources towards developing yourself and your staff.
As we dive into the new year, what are some questions you ask yourself each year to assess your progress and growth as a ministry leader? Are you making sure to celebrate the wins and analyze ways to improve on the shortcomings from your previous year?