Editor’s Note: This is a continuation of the first year-in-review article we published, A year-in-review: a look back on 2022. 

A new chapter has finally unfolded. The new year is about going forward, opening new doors, and accepting the journey that is about to begin. Starting something new is always challenging, as uncertainty and unfamiliarity sound terrifying. But beginnings are most powerful as they feel fresh and light. Moreover, you have the chance to set new and higher goals that can serve as your guide through the new year, whether professionally or personally.

We asked some of our colleagues in The KPI Institute (TKI) Ecosystem to highlight their objectives in the year 2023 that you may find inspiration from, as well as their proudest achievements in 2022 that can serve as motivation to do better in the new year.

---

Iulia Tutulan

Senior Customer Engagement Specialist

Support

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

2022 was an amazing year for me, not necessarily only in terms of results but in terms of consolidating the processes of learning and maturing my skills. I am proud of my team, and I am proud of my accomplishments and the projects delivered. I am proud that I managed to sign many contracts and delivered many successful projects, which lead to many certified professionals, who now have the chance to evolve in their careers.

I am grateful to be part of a team that supports each other in growth, and I am positive that all of our great results reside also in the power of our team.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

For 2023, I am expecting to focus more on developing my skills, designing my career path, and deciding on what my focus in my career should be. Even though I feel I could never give up sales and customer interaction, I also feel that I enjoy working with companies in developing their workforce. Thus, I plan to start my Ph.D. and focus more on the academic part. My personal life will bring new challenges that will need my attention. My family is growing, so 2023 will be an amazing year for me with happy moments and challenges in my personal and professional life.

 

Bori Pentek

Head of Operations

ILMS 

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

The accomplishment I am most proud of this year is setting the work processes in the Research and Instructional Design team.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

In my career, I prioritize reaching the production targets Aurel Brudan, CEO of TKI, requested from ILMS and instilling a culture of continuous improvement.

In my personal life, I only have two objectives: to be more mindful and more compassionate.

 

Cynthia Claudia

Assistant Editor

Publishing

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

As our team’s objective is to generate standard documents for each LMSL’s elements, I am proud to be the first editor who proposed the workflow or process of working on a Standard Document. One of the main processes involves constant collaboration with the Research team that generates the materials. We will keep improving the workflow as we move forward with generating more documents in the future.

A Standard Document refers to a document that collates available research on a subject matter including requirements, rules, guidelines, and characteristics. These documents serve as companions to learning merchandise produced by the LMSL Labs.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

I am looking forward to how the Publishing team will grow next year. When the team grows, it is inevitable that there will be new responsibilities and challenges, as new working and communication processes will be introduced. However, I am seeing these challenges as opportunities to develop myself.

My personal goal for next year is to be able to thrive in my current role, as well as develop and utilize my potential to achieve the company’s objectives. I am also looking forward to helping the growing Publishing team achieve our shared goals.

 

PRAMOD N S

Instructional Designer

AMSI

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

The Digital Marketing Course modules development and review are the ones I am proud of. In this project, I got insights into digital marketing, and it gave me an opportunity to see the modules from the learner’s perspective.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

In the next year, I want to upgrade my skills in Instructional Design so I can contribute more towards the success of my team.

 

Irene Kaldas

Marketing Consultant

Head of Marketing Center in AMSI, and Internal Consultant for other TKI’s entities

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

I initiated and created a digital marketing program that leverages different, top-of-mind digital marketing domains and current and emerging digital marketing concepts and tools.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

I have always chosen work experiences that not only enhance my skills but also broaden my horizon in unconventional ways. As a Marketing Consultant and mentor for thousands of learners in the technology field, I believe getting the chance where those experiences can be invested became my ultimate goal. Whatever I aim to achieve, either on a professional or personal level, I always try to appreciate every new learning experience and enjoy the process while working toward my goals.

 

Bayu Mahdhani

Web Developer

Biodigy

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

Working on Power BI features from the signature module and salary comparison is what I am the proudest of this year as they needed in-depth research before doing them.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

In 2023, I am looking forward to more new technology implementation and more opportunities to learn and develop my skill.

 

Doina Popovici

Partnerships Manager and Consultant

Research division

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

Here are my top three accomplishments which I am most proud of:

1. Being able to validate the first live online C-KPI course in Spanish, organized directly by TKI and not through partners
2. Creating a sales pipeline with leads coming from own research and prospecting efforts as well as being able to send a couple of in-house proposals and one audit service
3. Signing two Reseller Partners and a few more companies in the current negotiation for signing

 

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

I set my objectives in 2023 to establish a consultancy project, sign a Training Partner, and target an audience from new countries to attend our programs. Moreover, I want to lead several open and in-house courses through partners and personal efforts.

 

Abdallah Diab

Research Analyst

ILMS

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

A monthly report and performance tracker that monitors the work of an individual is one of my accomplishments this year of which I am most proud. I created the tracker in a standard way that is applicable to a diverse set of tasks conducted by the research team.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

Upskilling myself and experimenting in multiple domains to gain more confidence in my career path, perhaps along the lines of project management and performance improvement. These are my main objectives in the coming year.

 

Claudia Istratii

Senior Customer Engagement Specialist

Support Division

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

2022 was a year of many projects, tasks, and accomplishments. But something that deserves to be mentioned is the fact that I am part of a great customer engagement team that always focuses on customer experience. This year, I have managed to bring many ideas for sales strategy improvement and innovation, and I was happy to see them in practice. 

For me, it is very important to assist our customers as I would wish to be treated to have a positive experience. What helped me maximize my knowledge of customer satisfaction and experience was the Certified Customer Service Performance Professional course I attended.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

On a professional level, in 2023, I would love to make some steps forward to becoming a trainer for the Certified Customer Service Performance Professional course. I would like to inspire every professional interested in customer service to develop their performance management skills.

On a personal level, I would love to travel more and see new places around the world, learn the Arabic language, and spend quality time with my family.

As the year ends, we should consider all the wonderful things we have left to finish as well as all the amazing things we have already accomplished. It is a great incentive for us to celebrate victories so we can reflect on lessons learned and fuel our motivation to keep pushing forward. 

With that, let us share with you what our colleagues in The KPI Institute (TKI) ecosystem have accomplished this year as well as the things they look forward to in 2023.

---

Daniela Roxana Vuta

Senior Researcher

Research Division

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

I see each project I worked on this year as a great accomplishment because each initiative came with challenges and fantastic results. I consider myself part of the privileged people who are passionate about their work. Of course, as a researcher, I am most proud of our primary research projects implemented this year, such as the State of Strategy Management in 2022.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

My goal is to make 2023 the most extraordinary year for my professional career while diving into my fifth year within The KPI Institute. All my educational and professional background and the experience gathered so far align with this amazing team I am part of, which gives me so much enthusiasm and desire to exceed all expectations. More specifically, I intend to expand my knowledge boundaries in many fields, such as project management, data visualization, data storytelling, and content writing.

 

Hebatullah Saeed

Senior Training Program Coordinator

Support – Maentea

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

I’m most proud of when I provided six upskilling courses for SAR, and it is a significant contract this year. Moreover, my contribution to increasing bilingual facilitators’ capacity led to more projects. Lastly is becoming a certified Key Performance Indicator Professional and Innovation Performance Professional.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

In 2023, I look forward to expanding resources on the learning and development field of human resources and contracting automated systems for TKI course facilitators. Moreover, I would also like to extend my efforts to developing a portfolio of Lead and Upskill courses for Maentea.

 

Alaa Safwan

Marketing Manager

Research Division

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

Well, I cannot say that there is just one task that I am most proud of among the others. But I would say that since the day I joined The KPI Institute and began working in the marketing industry, I am proud of being able to add value, with my attention to detail, ability to learn quickly and adjust to the workflow, and finally, planning a workable marketing strategy.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

In terms of career objectives, there are many, but to sum it up, I aim to become a better version of myself, increase my core skills, and of course, advance in my profession. However, my personal ones would be to make my physical well-being a priority, be committed to growth and learning, and be who I am meant to be.

 

Syadza Andini

Framework Course Program Coordinator

ILMS (Institute for Life Management Science)

 

1. What project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

This year, I am proud of setting up a performance evaluation and maintenance system in the ILMS Research Team.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

It is my first time being a manager working with more than 20 people closely. My goals next year will include but are not limited to learning how to be a better manager and helping the organization launch quality courses by leading my team to produce quality materials.

 

Brian Kiprop

Research Analyst

TREFORIN

 

1. What is the project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

One of my favorite projects is the Internal Mobility project I worked on with the ILMS Instructional Design Team in August 2022. In this assignment, I had to put on a new hat as an instructional designer, creating scripts for a whole course for the ILMS division. Initially, being an instructional designer was difficult. But the experience taught me how to transform research knowledge into instructional resources for learners. In addition, I was delighted to contribute to the ILMS division’s goals for course production and eventual launch. Working with a dynamic team of designers, researchers, and team leaders allowed me to discuss ideas and improve my performance.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

Since joining The KPI Institute in January 2022, I have had the chance to contribute to projects across many divisions, each of which has pushed me to learn something new and develop my critical thinking skills. In 2023, I plan to keep up my zeal for learning, create a more collaborative environment, and lend a hand to my colleagues wherever required. I am eager to continue imparting the knowledge I have learned to others at a professional and personal level to enable them to improve their potential.

 

Andreea-Geanina Vintila

Jr. Management Consultant

Research Division

 

1. What is the project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

We conducted a Focus Group discussion for the Performance Magazine Printed Edition, which I participated in from planning to execution. I am proud of my accomplishment related to this project because it was a new experience that worked out very well and made me get closer to my colleagues.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

In 2023, I would like to continue working in the publishing team and improve my skills in writing articles. I also look forward to gaining experience in writing reports. Personally, I would like to learn and attend horse riding training during my leisure time.

 

Francine Kaye Acelar

Head of Publishing

LMSL (Life Management Science Labs)

 

1. What is the project or task you accomplished this year that you are most proud of and why?

I am most proud of building the Insights magazine website from scratch and introducing SEO best practices and maximizing the use of content briefs in our article writing process.

2. What endeavors or objectives would you like to prioritize in your career as well as in life next year?

I would like to add more skills to my personal and professional toolkits, especially in the areas of team management and website development. In addition, I would like to make use of what I have learned in household management articles that I have been editing in my household.

Building healthy work relationships is essential for both the employees and their employer when they are building a performance-oriented culture.

Citing several studies on work relationships, SHRM Foundation’s Effective Practice Guidelines Series shows that high-quality human relationships can impact one’s physical and psychological health, cognitive abilities, thinking capacity, learning, resiliency, commitment, creativity, and organizational citizenship behavior. This means more efficient employee coordination with qualities that support “greater organizational effectiveness and efficiency.”

However, the work setup of most companies changed when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. Organizations moved their operations online, forcing employees to perform their duties and communicate virtually. 

Cultivating professional relationships is not easy in such an environment. Employees connecting virtually rather than face-to-face communication have lesser chances of building relationships, according to a study held by Xiao-Ping Chen, the Philip M. Condit Endowed Chair in Business Administration at the University of Washington Foster School of Business.

Findings showed that it is difficult to understand the nonverbal cues of remote workers, such as facial expressions, hand gestures, silence, or delayed responses. Moreover, most employees struggle with paying attention during a meeting done via video conferencing.

What Organizations Can Do

Increasing resilience in the workplace as people recover from a crisis means giving them purpose and hope, flexibility and adaptability, and connection to their colleagues. Organizations can arrange activities that can help employees stay connected even while working remotely. 

In an interview with CNBC, Jason Fried, CEO of the project management company Basecamp, recommends a daily check-in with colleagues or a time at work where they can share ideas and express support over personal matters.

Meanwhile, education company General Assembly implemented watercooler chat over coffee through video chat rooms. Meg Randall, the director of product delivery for the company’s tech team in New York City, said that those coffee breaks help her mentally start her day. “It’s a small talk that lasts for a few minutes, but it’s a nice ritual if you’re craving that human connection every day, which I have been,” said Randall. 

Trust, transparency, and open communication can also help organizations nurture healthy work relationships. One of the ways this can be tested, particularly between leaders and employees, is performance evaluation. Assessing employee performance has changed due to the pandemic. 

In the online event held by ECCP and HURIS on August 2021, Cristina Mihăiloaie, Business Unit Manager at The KPI Institute, said that the performance criteria used for employee evaluations, whether it involves key performance indicators or not, should be “flexible, easy to adapt to changes, and more focused on the extent to which the role is successfully achieved, compared to looking at operational details.”

“For example, employees who worked from home and multitasked between being a parent and a professional may have missed some meetings, or maybe they seemed more absent during work. Overall, if the output of their job is good, the operational details may be less important,” she said. 

Join Cristina as she delivers the Certified Performance Management Systems Audit Professional Live Online course on 07 – 11 March 2022 / EMEA 18:00 – 22:00 GST and ASEAN 09:00 – 13:00 CST (US).

This 40-hour course will discuss how to diagnose and audit the maturity of performance architectures for five capabilities: strategic planning, performance measurement, performance management, performance culture and employee performance management.

Don’t miss this opportunity to widen your knowledge and experience in employee performance management. You can sign up here.