The workplace continues to call on our ability to change and respond to:

* users’ requirements

* customers’ preferences

* stakeholder expectation

* regulations

This blog covered a range of topics in 2013.

Here are some things to think about for 2014:

•Make new networks of people (peers, working partners, contacts): broaden your perspectives.
•Develop your team (line reports or project team; commissioned or a gathering of ‘the willing’).
•Be clear about your personal job purpose and how that fits with your department.
•Be ready to choose how you will change: the effort required, and impact of your behaviour.
•Seek useful partnerships – based on relational expectations and mutuality, not contracts.
•Change only when it is meaningful to you: act with integrity, consistent with your values.
•Value incremental change, unless the system shows that it needs a radical overhaul.
•Learn how to identify the difference between common causes and special causes.
•Always seek knowledge and learning – better understand the impact of your work.
•Aim to have fun.

Two books to consider reading this year:

Covey, S. (1989) 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon & Shuster, New York, NY.

Scholtes, P. (1998), The Leader’s Handbook: A guide to inspiring your people and managing the daily workflow, New York: McGraw-Hill