Three Smart Tips for 2019
By Brenda Jones Barwick, APR
Christmas and New Year’s are around the corner, then we’re into 2019. Although everyone feels busy with holiday parties and running down last-minute end-of-the-year deals, this is the perfect time to evaluate success on your 2018 goals and make new goals for 2019.
It must be a deliberate effort, such as blocking one to two hours a day or coming in an hour early, to create the time toward developing plans for a successful 2019.
To get started, here are three smart tips for kicking off a strong 2019:
• Research your clients through focus groups, surveys and other forms of opinion research so you know what they really think. Are they aware of all your service offerings? Every time we perform research for a client, we uncover important sentiments that otherwise would have been missed.
• Review your crisis communications plans and procedures before you need them. Every business has different situational concerns. By taking time to update your current crisis plan pales to the damage that could occur. Another option is to plan a real-time simulation of a potential crisis for your company management team to be prepared in advance of a crisis.
• Build a community engagement outreach plan that is strategic and aligned with your 2019 business goals. Your company supports non-profit events each year. Are they aligned or ad hoc? There is nothing wrong with being smart and strategic. Research shows that company culture improves when employees understand the how and why their company impacts their community.
Enjoy the holidays and take advantage of some of the office down time to prepare for more success in 2019.