Well, it’s that time of year again. It’s time to cut out something wonderful from your diet (please, no one give up pizza) or promise yourself that you’ll work out five times a week. And of course I’ve read the stats that tell you New Year’s resolutions are hopeless, but I’m still a fan of them. Over the years, I’ve made some life-changing habits that became a new part of a healthier routine— all because of those little January promises.

And I don’t think it’s only a time for us to make personal promises, either. A new year gives your organization the opportunity to make a few promises and set a few goals as well. At The A Group, this new year has us dreaming of different ways to interact with our staff internally, as well as ways that we can better serve our clients.

To ensure that we are aligned with the culture that we strive to create, we have made one resolution for each of our company values. Let’s do this, 2018.

Value: Humble and Hungry
Resolution: We want to talk less and listen more. Sure, we will continue to share inspired content as we seek to learn in our journey. However, we also want to ask you more questions. Our clients and partners are doing some life-changing work in very innovative ways around the world, and we have a lot we can learn from you as well. The best partnerships make each other better, so don’t be surprised when we check in with you from time to time to see what you’re learning as you grow. 

Value: Failure is Not Final 
Resolution: Just because you’ve failed at something in the past does not mean it can’t work for you in the future. Did you throw some money at some Facebook ads that went nowhere? Add some strategy behind it, and you might second-guess it's potential. In 2018, we’re committed more than ever before to continue to try new and brave things that we believe will better serve you, our partners and clients. We’re committed to pushing you beyond your comfort zone to try some things that may be unfamiliar to you, especially when it comes to marketing, branding or donor development. Remember, to reach people you’ve never reached before, you have to do some things you’ve never done. And you know what stings more than failure? Getting to the end of 2018 and having regret because you didn’t try anything new and you got the same lackluster results as the year before.

Value: Better Together
Resolution: As a staff, like many, we spend over eight hours each day together throughout the week. While this is enough to make us feel like one big family, it’s not enough to think that’s all this team needs to feel like, well...a team. We know what type of coffee everyone prefers and what sports team they cheer for, but there’s more to be known and connected with. Throughout the years, we pick a couple days to shut the laptops and head out of the office for a staff retreat. It’s always been a great way to bond and hang without talking about a website update or a logo idea. The sad news? We didn’t go on a retreat in 2017 due to some rescheduling issues. So, we are setting a goal to make sure we don’t overlook our retreat in 2018, due to busyness or unintentionality. TAG team, get ready! 

Value: Last 10%
Resolution: This value was born because we often fell into the temptation to want to hold back on that important last 10% that needed to be said in conversations or meetings. It’s that last 10% that is often most difficult and uncomfortable to say. Maybe we hold back because we’re embarrassed that our idea may sound stupid. Or maybe we’re afraid to step on someone’s toes. But it’s common that the last little bit is what generates the best conversations and ideas. We’re vowing in 2018 to speak with bravery, while still being kind, and deliver the last 10% to our colleagues, and to you (our partners and clients). 

Value: Deliver Wow
Resolution: We’ve all had those experiences with a brand or a company that made us want to give them a high five. At TAG, identifying this value was another catalyst to creating intentionality around improvement. As a result, we’ve started making some small, but mighty, adjustments to the way we do things. Whether it’s adding a new content stream through a podcast, our account managers learning new skills to better assist in helping you reach your goals or our development team making some awesome new updates to TAGTools that make your life easier, we’re constantly trying to improve and “deliver wow” to our clients. In 2018, we are striving to continue to add tools to our toolbox and find new ways to innovate.

So, there you go. Those are just a few of our hopes, dreams and resolutions that we believe will guide us into a fantastic 2018. And we believe that our goals will ultimately help you achieve yours. We believe your mission matters and that 2018 could be the year you make your greatest impact yet. Are you ready?