CMI Highlights – 18 January 2023

Dear all,

I hope you were able to have a restful winter break, as well as a peaceful start to the new year.

New Year, New You

With the dawn of a new year, many managers and leaders will be thinking about career objectives for 2023, and beyond. You’ll need confidence to succeed in the year ahead. 

We’ve taken a deep dive into how to set career goals that will stick – see whether these tips can help you reach your targets.

One goal might be to impress your boss. This can be difficult if you’re working remotely – how on earth do you show off your skills via a computer screen? We gathered some expert tips on impressing your boss remotely. 

Plus, in our latest Advice from the Experts, Patrick Macdonald CMgr CCMI explains how to impress from the offset in a new role and help you shoot up the career ladder. 

If you have a question of your own that you’d like answered by a management and leadership expert, drop us a message!

Don’t forget, tune in to CMI’s New Year New Me webinar series for tips on developing self-awareness, compassion, empathy and a supportive network that empowers you. This series also touches on conflict resolution, deep listening, and how to become more grounded heading into a new year. Go on, put it on in the background for some inspirational listening...

How authentic are you at work? Cast your vote…

It’s hard to perform at your best when you feel like you can’t be yourself. Chloe Jepps, head of research at CMI, wrote a piece for The Guardian calling for greater action from companies and managers to create more inclusive workplaces, with persistent workplace discrimination and exclusion sadly pushing people out of work. 

In a similar vein, CMI’s Anthony Painter told the Financial Times: “evidence shows diverse organisations are best positioned to reap the benefits of higher productivity and better decision-making.” .

We want to know how comfortable the CMI community feels about being authentically yourself at work: are you truly you when you walk into work? Cast your vote now! (We’ll dig into the results in a few weeks’ time…)

Stay flexible

This week we look at approaches to retain your staff after maternity leave. (Thanks to CMI member Francesca Prior CMgr who gave us an expert briefing.) Offering flexible working is crucial here. But many companies are now demanding that employees return to the office (according to CMI data reported in The Telegraph). Our poll found that “one in seven companies are planning to force more staff back to the office in 2023, with only 4% saying they would increase days working from home”. 

A recent Working Mums article floats the idea of “chief remote officer”. Such a role makes sure that remote workers don’t get left behind – for example from decisions made in “impromptu meetings in the office,” said Antony Painter, CMI’s director of policy and external affairs. What do you think?

If you’re planning for the year ahead and want to be an inclusive organisation, here’s a thought-provoking article about being less “Christmas-centric” when planning events with your team...

Best wishes,

Ian Doherty, director of membership