Where would we be without the opportunity for new beginnings? New beginnings bring hope. With new beginnings we can start over with a blank slate. One of the most significant new-beginning opportunities is represented by the first month of the calendar, January- the New Year.

There is only one time during the year when most people in your organization are open to new beginnings. Growth sounds like a good idea. Talk of making things better is commonplace. The effective leader takes advantage of this organizational mind-set by using the first of the year to implement appropriate levels of leadership development and planning at every level of the organization. There are six New Year questions that should be answered by every effective leader at the beginning of each New Year.

1. Do I have a written plan for this New Year defined by specific measurable goals?

2. Do I have a defined “Plan of Action” with target dates for each goal?

3. Have I effectively communicated these goals and Plan of Action with all the members of the organization?

4. Do I have the necessary “buy-in” from the people in the organization to execute this plan?

5. Do I have a schedule of results management meetings, with the appropriate people, to consistently track results?

These are the questions I ask myself at the beginning of every New Year. The psychological advantage of new beginnings is now in your favor, but you must act quickly. After the first quarter, you lose the advantages offered by the New Year.