As we step into a new year, it's worth taking time to not only focus on personal New Year’s resolutions but professional ones, too. Managers endured a lot in 2024—having to do more with less, expectation shifts, and burnout, among other tricky challenges.
Now is as good a time as ever to reset, reflect, and gear up for an impactful 2025.
Great managers know their teams can’t deliver results without fostering connections, empowering teams, and creating an environment where their employees feel connected to their company and coworkers.
Reflecting on 2024, managers faced a year of rapid change and valuable lessons. We learned that all employees want more feedback to feel supported and set up for success. New studies found effective recognition is vital for employee motivation and morale, underscoring the importance of celebrating team achievements. At the same time, the ongoing shift toward distributed work and the growth of a multigenerational workplace highlighted the need for flexibility and better forms of communication.
At Bonusly, we believe great managers play a critical role in building strong, collaborative teams. That’s why we’ve compiled 10 New Year’s resolutions to help managers make work better for everyone in the year ahead.
New Year’s Resolutions for managers to tackle in 2025
1. Give recognition at least once a week
If we can take away just one thing from 2024, it’s that recognition matters more than ever. Don’t just give your employees recognition when you think of it. Instead, turn recognition into a powerful habit that motivates employees, strengthens relationships, and reinforces the behaviors that drive success. Workplace experts say recognition is most effective when delivered at least once a week. Become a pro by ensuring your recognition is timely, specific, visible, inclusive, and values-based, too.
Let Bonusly help you do recognition the right way. Get started with a demo.
2. Give feedback—at least monthly
This year unearthed that employees want more feedback, but managers aren’t giving enough of it. Constructive feedback is a non-negotiable for employee growth. And, as a manager, it’s your job to give feedback, so commit to providing thoughtful, actionable feedback at least once a month.
Not sure where to begin? Give our Manager’s Guide to Giving Effective Feedback a read.
3. Embrace team flexibility
Workplace dynamics are evolving, and employees value flexibility more than ever. So much so that it’s the #1 benefit employees cared about in 2024. Whether it’s flexible hours, remote work options, or adaptive workflows, be open to finding solutions that meet your team’s needs and business goals.
4. Use 1:1s to build relationships
Let’s make 2025 the year of the better meeting. One-on-one meetings are your chance to connect on a deeper level with your team members. Use these check-ins—ideally, weekly or bi-weekly—to understand their challenges, celebrate their wins, and provide support, not just discuss tasks and deadlines. As a manager, focusing on relationship-building and trust will make creating a culture of feedback much more seamless, too.
5. Focus on employee skill-building
Skills have become the new currency in today’s workplace, and helping employees build relevant skills is essential for their career progression. Shift your focus from job titles to the skills employees need to excel in both current and future roles. For starters, carve out time in your 1:1s to talk about career aspirations. From there, identify key skills to focus on and provide opportunities to apply them through projects or training.
See how Bonusly’s Performance Recap identifies employee skills and improves the path to high performance.
6. Start having growth conversations quarterly
If leaders know performance reviews are pointless, what should managers do instead? Consider conducting quarterly growth conversations where you and your direct reports discuss development opportunities and long-term goals. These conversations don’t need to be formal, but they should go deeper than a regular feedback session— helping align employees’ growth with organizational needs.
7. Help your team find meaning in their work
In 2024, employees struggled to feel connected to their company’s mission and purpose. The silver lining? Managers are uniquely positioned to help employees feel more connected to their organization in various ways. To begin, better understand your team’s motivations—why did they join the company and what core values do they resonate with most? Managers can also help employees align their work with broader company goals so they understand how their contributions matter.
8. Prevent burnout before it strikes
2024 wasn’t a great year for workplace burnout. The best way to combat burnout is to take a preventive approach; managers should be monitoring workloads and watching for signs of stress (another great use of the 1:1!). Encourage time off, set boundaries for after-hours communication, and create a culture where employees feel comfortable discussing their well-being.
9. Learn how to break down organizational silos
Cross-functional collaboration is essential for innovation and efficiency. Yet silos are more prevalent than ever, especially in distributed workplaces. Make a concerted effort to build better bridges, improve communication channels, and create purposeful cross-team connections. Here are 4 more tips to break down organizational silos to get you started.
10. Help your team work smarter, not harder
The use of generative AI tripled in 2024, providing teams with new ways to reach high productivity levels. Productivity isn’t about putting in more hours—it’s about making those hours count. Work with your team to ensure they are prioritizing high-impact tasks, streamlining workflows, and leveraging tools that simplify processes and save time.
The takeaway
2024 brought its share of challenges, but it also provided valuable insights that managers can carry into the year ahead. By focusing on employee recognition, meaningful feedback, flexibility, and more, managers can lead teams that feel motivated, connected, and supported. These 10 resolutions aren’t just about improving team performance—they’re about creating an environment where people grow and find meaning in their work.
As a manager, you have the opportunity to turn 2025 into a year of positive change for your team and yourself. And Bonusly is here to help. Let’s make the new year a turning point for better teamwork, stronger connections, and lasting impact. Get started with a demo of Bonusly.
