Quick Fixes Won’t Cut It: End of Year Approach
We’re in the home stretch of 2023, and for many employers, that can signal an alarm to meet year-end goals or fix any organizational issues before the new year. While we all want to finish the year strong, it’s vital to remember that building an efficient and healthy workplace is a marathon, not a sprint.
Real, lasting change takes time. We’ve witnessed the difference between employers who give themselves ample room to improve and the ones who try the “quick fix,” often unknowingly. While their intentions are usually good, the latter tends to have more to fix after the fact – making it more work and time invested in the future.
What do we mean by ‘quick fixes’?
In the final quarter of the year, we see a lot of potential clients coming to us hoping for a quick turnaround solution to fix staffing issues, meet stakeholder expectations, or improve their recruitment process.
While wanting to fix these issues quickly isn’t a bad thing in itself, and we will certainly try to help you as much as we can, you’re often putting bandaids on weak spots in your organization instead of getting to the root of the problem. Handpicking problems to “fix” seemingly at the last minute can lead to neglect of ongoing issues, employee resentment, and even an overall damaged culture. And trust us, that ends up being a much bigger hole to crawl out of.
Think of it like renovating a house: If you keep slapping on a coat of paint or simply switch up the floors without addressing core foundational damage, it’s going to cost you more over time.
Whether it’s an incentive program that’s just not working, poor HR management, or not having an equitable, market-based compensation plan, seemingly stand alone issues are often a sign that more long-term change is needed.
How to approach the final quarter
We understand: You have stakeholders and employees to appease toward the end of the year, people are expecting increases given the current inflation, you’ve got seemingly endless to-do’s on your plate, and you just want to do right by your people. We want to help you satisfy them in the long run: Approaching the end of the year can be an opportunity to plant the seeds that will grow healthy roots and eventually lead to a flourishing organization.
If you’re noticing any of the signs below, it may be time to reach out for consulting help in 2024:
- Your organization is experiencing high turnover.
- You feel like you are constantly recruiting.
- You’re consistently missing performance metrics.
- Some team members have too much on their plate, while others seem to not have enough.
- You don’t feel like you have the right people, with the right talent, in the right jobs.
Maximizing team performance in a lasting way is what we do, and that doesn’t happen in just a few days. When you’re going through our program, we recommend a lead time of 2-3 months to gather all the data, get your board/stakeholders and team involved, and jump in with intentionality. The alternative options to addressing organizational problems (i.e. addressing specific issues without getting to the root of it all) will likely take even more time, money, and resources in the long run.
When you put your people first and invest in a healthy future for all, that’s when you’ll start to truly see a difference.
If you feel ready to start taking steps toward positive change at your workplace, contact us today.
