Is it just me, or do the years keep flying by faster and faster? It seems like a blink ago that it was 2000, then 2005, and now (gulp) 2013. There’s so much to do, and so little time. Some of us have entered this new year with some personal resolutions (according to one set of statistics, about 45% of us usually make new year’s resolutions). If you’re still struggling on that front, the Journal of Clinical Psychology has a Top 10 list of resolutions. Personal resolutions aside, why not take a moment to come up with a Top 5 list (okay, overachievers, make it a Top 10) of ways to advance or enhance your stock programs in 2013?

My Top 5

Here’s 5 Resolutions I love for 2013:

1. Incorporate at least one new mode of information-sharing into your communication strategy. Have you been using primarily email? Perhaps this is the year to experiment with social media, texting or other modes.

2. Have an ESPP? Vow to increase employee participation by a reasonable percentage (even just 5-10% over where you are now).

3. Assemble an internal stock plans task force. Even if you just meet quarterly, this could fuel a secondary goal of strengthening relationships with internal business partners.

4. Pick one (or more) topic and become an expert. Hone your know-how in a specific area. It could be a hot industry issue (see Barb’s blog and our recent Alert on Shareholder Lawsuits – perhaps you could become the resource on what’s happening on that front and lend your expertise to internal meetings on how to avoid a similar situation in 2013), or simply an expanded knowledge of a best practice, regulation or other area. Not only will you add value to your organization, but you’ll increase your own personal value as well.

5. Master the art of leverage. You’ve got vendors – brainstorm one or more areas to more fully leverage the resources available to you. Perhaps you’ve wanted to take advantage of a new service offering, or wanted to simply move those grant agreements online that you know should have been done years ago.

Tips

Be Specific. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to think of a goal or objective in an abstract sense. For example, saying “I want to more fully leverage my service provider this year” feels big and broad. Without definition, it’s hard to figure out exactly what to do. Picking a specific task or a single area of focus can help you develop a specific outcome, somewhere you can now channel focus and eventually be able to measure your progress. You could refine the above statement to say “I want to leverage my service provider to assist with employee communications this year. Specifically, I will identify 2 areas of communication where they can enhance our strategy and start with that.” This now gives you two specific things to focus on, and makes it far more likely that you’ll achieve what you intended to do.

Bigger Doesn’t Equal Better. The term “baby steps” makes sense here. You don’t have to transform the world – just choose a few meaningful things that, if accomplished, could make a difference in how your stock programs are managed and the impact on participants.

Inject Passion. The more inspired you are, the more likely you are to feel motivated to cross the finish line. If resolutions are a struggle for you, pick something that you feel passionate about.

Schedule It! It’s one thing to think about what you’d like to do, but when you actually block time for the goal, it becomes a reality. Whether it’s putting a little time on your calendar each week to focus on your goal, or setting up a meeting, or something else, make time for it. Without scheduling it, other urgent matters will get in the way and your objective will revert back to a wish (but never a reality).

Why not take a few minutes today to jot down a few things that would make your stock plans great in 2013? If you do, I’d love to hear about it!

-Jennifer