By: Courtney Templin
President of JB Training Solutions
President of Chicago SHRM
What’s on your bucket list? I shared at the beginning of the year that I am working through a new bucket list, so I can keep adventure, new challenges, and curiosity at the forefront. Although I have a number of career and professional development items on that list, I started thinking that it could be fun to infiltrate that same way of thinking into our leadership goals.
Do you feel like you’re in a leadership rut? Could you use a little inspiration for both you and your team? Maybe it’s time to consider creating a leadership bucket list, and you can complete one item on your list each month. This will ensure you are trying out new and different techniques as a leader, and you can keep your team feeling engaged and appreciated. You can continue to take your leadership skills to the next level, and you can have some fun along the way! Brainstorm ideas that work for you, and here are a few to get you started:
- Create a “don’t do” list for your team to keep everyone focused on priorities
- Take a walk week – Have walking meetings with your team
- Designate one day of the week as “no meeting day” in Q4
- Create a team Spotify play list
- Connect an employee to a Chicago SHRM colleague to expand their HR network
- Greatest failure contest – Encourage your team to take risks and try something new
- Delegate your favorite project
- Attend Chicago SHRM’s ELEVATE Conference on October 10th with team members
- Get your HR certification
- Host a learning week with your team or for the whole organization
- Have an offsite strategic planning meeting with your team to change up the scene and inspire new thinking
- Complete a task on your direct report’s to-do list that they do not like doing
- Have a “no email” day to encourage more face-to-face collaboration
- Bring your HR team to the Chicago SHRM Meet Up on October 2nd
I am trying to bring in this way of thinking at JB. During a meeting when we were talking about wellness, I learned that my team sees taking an afternoon nap on the weekends as a great step in self-care and wellness. What a great bucket list item – take a nap day! We are going to try it out. Employees can pick one day in October, work from home in the afternoon, and take an hour nap during the work day. Research shows that a nap can restore alertness, enhance performance, and increase productivity! It’s like a mini vacation.
Take a few minutes to write your own leadership bucket list, seize the day, and begin tackling them right away. I would love to hear all about it at our Meet Up or the ELEVATE Conference. Hope to see you soon!
Originally featured in the Chicago SHRM Blog.