A new year comes with a clean slate for many people. They tend to see it as an opportunity to change habits, improve their lives, and perhaps improve situations for others. Though it’s great for individuals who believe in the power of resolutions and intentions for the new year, let’s not limit the ‘turning of a new leaf’ at the personal level. The improvement should also spill into businesses and the leadership that guides their operations.

A new calendar year or new fiscal year is the next best time to explore business strategy improvement. This is especially appropriate since business strategic plans tend to last for periods at a time equivalent to a fiscal year or a calendar year. If you missed the actual start, the next best time is now.

The newness of it all suggests change and taking the opportunity to take a new approach. So why not seek to change for the better, to be more inclusive, and diversify your leadership and business operations?

That being said, let us explore some of the leadership trends we can expect to see in 2022. Though the year has already begun and some may have already implemented change, there may be others seeking inspiration. So, this write-up is perfect for you!

A December 2021 Entrepreneur.com article on ‘Leadership trends to embrace’ highlights a few that we at FunTimes Magazine think are great. Two of these trends include:

In 2022, company cultures must place their employees’ well-being first. Though they are employees, they are also part of your customer base! They're called your internal customers. According to the article, "every person on a company’s [leadership] team must be committed to workplace well-being, modeling a holistic lifestyle where top priorities are physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health." The fact is, people want more than just work and the benefits of work. They crave a work-life balance. To avoid situations such as the 'Great Resignation', companies need to get with the times or else they'll be left in the dust.

 Investing in your employee’s development

One effective way to get this done is to consider investing in coaching and mentoring activities. Based on the article, "peer-to-peer coaching and mentoring are also highly effective if you provide structure and set expectations."

The key, though, is to place heavy emphasis on upskilling staff. Some good ways to do this include job rotation, adding new tasks and responsibilities within context, and investing in coaching and mentoring activities that will prove beneficial to both the employees and the company in the grander scheme of things.

Similarly, Forbes published an article along the same lines. The trends they highlight include:

• Career pathing and succession planning

The article points to LinkedIn's 'Global Talent Trends 2020 Report' as presented in a blog on the professional platform which highlights "how powerful internal mobility can be, with 81% of talent professionals agreeing that it helps improve retention, and 69% stating that existing employees stepping into a new role drives productivity."

So, essentially leaders ought to include succession in their business strategic plans for the new period. If you assist your employees to get to where they strive to be professionally, they'll stick around and help you to build your company as they grow in their areas of expertise.

• Creating a culture of adaptability and accountability 

The culture of adaptability and accountability is but a small part of the overall company culture. The Forbes article explains that "defining or redefining the culture of a team or organization is a very complex undertaking. It's much more than an announcement at the company meeting and some new core values slapped up on the website or conference room wall." 

Change begins with action and continuation. It has very little to do with meetings and speaking.

If you are urged to follow through with the promise of change within your organizations, don't just throw the words around because they are catchphrases for the current period which would most definitely get you some traction. Implement and do the work. Remember, nothing changes until something changes.

Happy New Year and happy change implementation!

 Candice Stewart is a Jamaican content writer specializing in human interest feature stories. She is a web content writer, blogger, and budding podcaster.

She holds an MA in Communication for Social and Behaviour Change and a BSc. in Psychology from the University of the West Indies (UWI, Mona).

Follow her blog at thesuburbangirlja.com, where she shares stories and life lessons through real-life experiences.


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