Oliver: Setting goals is important because it gives us a direction on what we want to achieve and aligns our actions with our values and strategic goals. The process of setting goals ensures that efforts and resources are directed towards meaningful and relevant outcomes that reflect the core values of an organization.

Ryan: Setting goals helps bring clarity to our priorities, ensures that our efforts are in-line with the A&F and Institute strategic plan, and enables us to reflect on whether we're spending our energy and time on the right tasks to achieve our goals.

Lou: Setting goals is important because goals help provide a clear direction and purpose. Goals act as a roadmap, guiding employees and teams towards their desired outcomes. Setting goals allows for better planning and a sense of accomplishment when milestones are archived.

Oliver: As a senior application support analyst, my goal is to uphold A&F's mission of high-quality service and innovation, while being a model of excellence and sustainability. In 2024, I hope to achieve:

1. Enhancing technological infrastructure to support the Institute's transformative learning experiences and operational efficiency.
2. Improving the service experience by leveraging data analytics and user feedback for continuous improvement and innovation in application support.

Ryan: One of my goals is to promote and lease the newly built shared and private laboratories at BioSpark Labs – the location of choice for life sciences startups in the Atlanta market. We are dedicated to assisting the life science community by offering specialized cleanrooms and Biosafety Level 2 areas equipped with top-notch research equipment that most startups need but are unable to afford.

Another organizational goal is to successfully onboard our newly hired research coordinator for the co-working laboratories and shared equipment facilities at BioSpark Labs. This new departmental position is important for the efficient management, training, and safety of our expanded co-working laboratory space as well as the $1 million investment in research equipment.

Lou: In 2024, my organizational goals involve enhancing communication through established channels, leveraging advanced technologies for reporting, and fostering collaboration with campus units. Additionally, I plan to engage in more knowledge-sharing sessions, such as conferences and presentations, to facilitate the exchange of expertise and insights within and beyond our team.

Oliver: In 2024, I aim to complete my Master of Science in Information Systems degree from Kennesaw State University and use my education to further my career and enhance my leadership skills. Additionally, I am looking forward to welcoming the birth of my son. This event is significant as it marks the growth of my family and the start of a new chapter in my personal life.

Ryan: I've started 2024 with the personal goal of cultivating relationships with family and friends as research indicates the quality of our relationships is the single biggest predictor of our happiness and emotional wellbeing. Another personal goal I've expressed with my team is to show more confidence at work. Being more confident will allow me to achieve my goals more quickly rather than be held back by self-doubt.

Lou: In 2024, my personal goals include achieving a healthy work-life balance and engaging in knowledge-sharing initiatives. These aspirations are driven by a commitment to personal well-being, and continuous learning.

Dylan: As Georgia Tech grows, and more people are brought into our community, it is more important than ever to maintain open communication with one another. I am excited about the prospect of opening and maintaining these lines of communication with everyone to sustain the most efficient workplace for students and employees alike.

Mary: The most exciting parts about GT's growth to me are the interesting ways we are trying to stay ahead of it while managing our existing responsibilities, as well as the content and quality of the research and ideas coming out of our organization! I'm always reading new and exciting contracts describing the work being performed out on campus and I am really looking forward to where things continue on that front. On the growth management side, we're constantly innovating new approaches and reporting metrics to get the most benefit out of our employees time, our current expansion into robotics, and other assistive processes is really looking up!

Yiny: What really excites me about Georgia Tech's growth is the investment the Institute has made in supporting the development of well-rounded individuals and the pride it takes in cultivating a meaningful community presence. I love reading about what we are doing in research, our rankings, and what students accomplish while on campus and after graduation.

Dylan: As the community grows, our team ensures that new departments and services are provided with the technical support they need to establish themselves. This is done by connecting our clients with resources to learn these new systems and procedures, as well as identifying pain points that can be addressed before they become a larger issue.

Mary: My team is responsible for billing and reporting on all RI External Sponsored Project funding (about $30-50M a month). While we are not directly involved in growing the research and other efforts here at Georgia Tech, our work is necessary and essential to the business operations of the organization. Without the draw requests and reporting to the sponsors, additional funding cannot be awarded and projects cannot be completed administratively. Our efforts also impact the sponsor's perception of the organization, since we are often first line contact with them, and we are always working to improve our customer experience with our sponsors so that business between them and Georgia Tech can continue to run smoothly.

Yiny: Within my role in the Budget Office, I support the colleges, student fee activity committee, and several non-academic units to ensure we are good stewards of our resources. Supporting the student activity fee is something that I hold dear. As the student activity Budget Analyst, I am grateful to be able to witness firsthand how our students operate and how they fund and support all students and a myriad of special interests with student activity fees.

Our campus has such a positive foothold in Midtown and the State of Georgia, I want to make sure we invest in our students and take care of our campus growth for many years to come.

Dylan: I think the two best traits to support growth are patience and willingness to embrace change. To improve and maintain continuous forward movement, changes must be made, but with change comes mistakes as we all learn the nuances. We must all be willing to let this change happen and have patience while we learn these nuances, otherwise we will be stuck in place as the world progresses around us.

Mary: Campus growth doesn’t happen by itself, it needs the underlying foundation structure of a lot of knowledgeable and hardworking people to keep it running and continue growing at a sustainable pace. The best way to support the campus’ growth is to support your own growth and wellbeing. Georgia Tech is more than the sum of its parts, and each of you is a very important part of this organization.

Yiny: Over the past 24 years, I have seen a growth in arts, student programs, entertainment, and many ways of engaging staff and faculty. It is a terrific way to encourage individualism while fostering a sense of community. I would love to see an increase in amplifying our students' ingenuity (robotics, architecture, arts).