Making the Most of the Fresh Start
- Kristine Goebel
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Making the most of the fresh start
What’s guiding your team’s decisions, clear priorities or old habits?
January energy is fun. It feels like birthdays, anniversaries, new jobs, and even Mondays! It gives people a natural opportunity to reset.
Our team calls it a New Year kick-off. It’s a moment in time to gather everyone, kick off the new year with a fresh start, and reengage on why we exist, where we are going, and how we are going to respond along the way.
It's not an idea that we came up with; it’s a researched concept called the “fresh start effect” by researchers Katherine Milkman, Hengchen Dai, and Jason Riis (2014).
Research shows people will re-engage, commit to change, and be more focused on goals around moments that feel like a new beginning.
If you want this fresh start to stick, here are simple ways to make the most of it:
(1) IDEA
Gather your team together – everyone – and bring excitement to this fresh start! Call it a New Year kickoff or don’t! Either way, just get them in the same room, even if it’s virtual, to reconnect them to the mission at hand and how they play a crucial role in it all.
(2) STRUCTURE
Pick a word or phrase of the year. This helps unify the team on something simple. Some of our favorites from the past: “GO!”, "Bold Boundaries", “Together”, “Multiply Our Purpose”, and our very first at Accompany Suite, “Don’t be a secret”. Use the word throughout the year as a way to stay united with one simple, focused objective.
(3) ACCOUNTABILITY
Choose someone to keep it alive! A great way to develop a teammate with a lot of potential is to give them something to champion throughout the year. This is not giving them more work; it’s giving them the opportunity to rise in leadership, learning how to keep a concept moving over a long period of time.
Don’t let this fresh start fade into old habits. Set the tone now and carry it through the entire year.
Need help?
Team Alignment Reset: 5 Steps Freebie
Book a workshop today! 🤝 A Strong Foundation workshop (2 hrs) – can be done during a lunch and learn style, our team comes in to facilitate a fun, interactive, New Year Kick Off!
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