Your Thoughts on 2011 – Signs of Optimism

As many of you know, I write the weekly analysis of the SmartPulse poll for SmartBrief on Leadership. If you’re not reading SmartBrief, you HAVE TO (www.smartbrief.com). Great articles. Great abstracts. Anyway, we just conducted the end-of-year poll and I want to share the results with you here.

The end of year polls covered three major questions.  The theme of all three is what do you think the new year has in store for all of us:

– What strategy will be central to your effort to enhance profits in the new year?

– Which of the following is of most concern as you look forward to the coming year?

– What of the following best describes your top personal goal as a leader for 2011?

The poll results are both interesting and encouraging. From the looks of your replies, 2011 should be trending in the right direction. I know it’s still scary out there but there are signs of hope. Check out the poll results and my analysis on each of them…

A eye on innovation

It’s encouraging to see many of you focused on innovation and new growth, rather than cutting costs. New products and services are where you’ll see the greatest return long term. Those of you not planning to make any changes to your business run the risk of being left behind. Your business is going to change. Either you can change it or the market will change it for you.

Big-picture worries

Unemployment is top of mind for many of you, which makes sense: When consumers aren’t buying, your business is not expanding. There is a silver lining — with unemployment so high you can afford to be more selective in your hiring. If your business is on stable ground, you should be out there searching for talent.

The personal side

Improving your time management skills barely beat out improving your physical health. The two are likely linked. If we don’t have the time to get all our work done, how can we possibly find the time for fitness? I suggest defining a reasonable, achievable new routine and schedule that includes time for exercise. Stick to it for at least a month. Do your best to permit no exceptions to getting out of your routine. By the time you’ve ingrained this new schedule into your routine, both goals should be well within reach.

Bolstering skills and learning about new parts of your business are critical to your development and often fall by the wayside. Build them into your professional goals for the year. Have your boss or a respected peer hold you accountable to that goal and enlist their assistance in achieving it. Trying to go it alone is a recipe for failure.

So there are your replies (and the replies of thousands of other SmartBrief on Leadership readers) and there’s my take on what the numbers mean. Do you agree? Disagree? Do you have anything to add? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC