Performance Review Time–Are You Ready?
What is it about reviewing performance that everyone seems to dread? Matter of fact, there are many opinions that say they do more harm than good. However, it’s my experience that most companies do it no matter what. Otherwise, how could they defend the amount of merit pay they dole out–or don’t give out?
Preparing for an annual review is actually a year-long process. Just like setting goals, it’s something you need to practice some discipline. One quick way to keep on-going records, is to create a file where you put copies of positive letters from satisfied customers or co-workers in.
Also, keep a record or notes to yourself of all the projects you worked on.While you think you won’t forget, it’s likely you will 12 months later. Better to keep more information, then too little–you can always group goals and accomplishments if need be.
And don’t forget to look back at comments and recommendations from last year’s review. Did your boss want you to do something more or maybe do something less? How did you accomplish this throughout the year? Again, it’s best to look at this periodically–maybe quarterly.
Perhaps your company has a self-evaluation form you have to complete and send to your supervisor before the review discussion. Let’s face it, lots of time, your supervisor may forget projects you’ve worked on–so isn’t it great that you remind him/her?
When preparing for your review–focus on the problem you solved and what you did to solve it. You don’t need to go into every detail of how you went about it. Measurements are awesome if you have them! Really impressive.
If you are struggling with a challenging review, consider scheduling a session with me–I can help you be prepared!
A time to “brag”
When I talk with a potential new client to complete their resume, I often have to remind them that NOW is the time for them to talk about the good work they’ve done.
Women, especially, struggle with talking about what they have done. We have been taught to be humble and we interpret that to play down all we’ve accomplished. I still have to catch myself in doing the same thing at times.
But in looking for work and writing a resume, you need to “get over it”–stand up tall and talk boldly about your work.You need to be honest, but be careful to not play down your performance.
Identify what role you had in getting something done. Often I see a person write on their resume that they assisted in this project or that. What does that mean exactly? You did something to get a task/project done–what was your role in it?
There are several acronyms that are used in helping us develop these accomplishment statements. The one I use is CAR, where C=Challenge you encountered; A=Action you took; R=Result you got.
Whether you are developing a resume or not, keep a log of the things you’ve accomplished this year to prepare for your annual review. Have your list ready to share with your boss. Being human, they often forget what you’ve achieved. Don’t assume they will remember–they may not!
And, furthermore, it’s great for you to look back at what you have done this past year. We keep our focus on what we haven’t done or what we still need to do, we forget or think it unimportant to remember that you HAVE moved forward!
Stop It
I often write blogs and articles recommending that you improve your life by suggesting some positive behaviors to incorporate into your life. In this blog, I want you to think about what you need to stop.
Do you find yourself obsessively worrying or complaining? How often do we spend our time today by rehashing what happened yesterday or worrying about what could happen tomorrow. Or perhaps you cling to a hurt that happened long ago and find yourself unable to forgive.
Negative thinking can become a habit–a way of living. When you are focusing on past issues–you aren’t able to think about positive thoughts. The possibilities of the future, what steps you could take to move forward with your goal or to reach down and continue to have a positive hope for the future.
Negativity can be contagious. When I was in human resources, I often noticed a phenomenon going on at work. At times there would be a lot of negativity and complaining from one particular department. Many times it was directed at the supervisor.
So often, when a particular malcontent person left or was transferred and I would later find there was just one person who stirred up the negativity of the rest of the team. “Did you see what he/she did?” “I can’t believe he/she did that!” People who were basically minding their own business were challenged to think about things they would have previously ignored.
Have you been in that type of situation before? Well, if we find we are doing that to ourselves, we can make a change. Harness your mind for good, positive, and hopeful. We can then turn around our view of life and our future.
So, when you discover your thoughts are not helping you today–then say, stop it! (Maybe to yourself, if you don’t want people looking strange at you!) Picture a stop sign in your mind.
You have control of your thoughts. And just like any other bad habit–you can make a change. So, stop it! I mean, start it–the new habit that is!
Getting Things Done
Although we often complain we don’t have enough time to get everything done, I have discovered having a limited time to get things done actually stimulates you to make the most of the time you DO have. Years ago, when I was off because of a maternity leave, I thought of all the things I was (finally) going to get done.
Instead, I discovered I was making the beds right before my husband came home. Why? Because I could do it anytime—and so I put it off.
So here are a couple of techniques I’ve learned that are helpful in accomplishing your goals.
Identify the time-frame. Identify your top 3 goals. Perhaps you want to take a certification exam. When do you want or need to complete this exam? Sometimes your goal has a specific time constraint—other times, you need to establish a target date yourself. Once you set the drop-dead date, you can work backwards to set mini-steps. I call them munchies.
What is the next step you need to take? In order to pass the exam—what do you have to do? Read/study a certain amount of pages? Come up with a do-able goal for each day or each week. Don’t set up yourself to fail. Start with a time frame you can achieve easily. Success breeds success. Then increase it!
Schedule your day and your week. By actually scheduling each of your munchies on a calendar, you are in fact, envisioning yourself complete these next steps. I like the idea of having a Sunday evening business meeting with yourself each week to plan out your week.
Set up an accountability partner and/or reward. Checking in with someone and/or giving yourself a reward is a great way to keep the motivation going. Before you think about the next week, it’s a good thing to look at the previous week and to note your progress!
The Processional Effect
“Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.”—Charles F. Kettering
Chellie Campbell, who wrote The Wealthy Spirit, one of my favorite resources, just wrote about The Processional Effect–in a recent post. She shares how you start towards a goal and of course, acquire skills and experiences. Because of the insights you learn along the way, a new goal may appear to you–something that never occurred to you when you first started out. You couldn’t see your new goal or the new opportunity at the beginning, you needed that additional insight to “get it.”
I can so relate from my recent experiences starting my own coaching business. When I was first laid off from Corporate America, I decided to step away from my human resources experiences. Surely, now was the time to focus on something entirely new with my coaching career.
I began with a generic sounding company called, Best Life Consulting. After I relocated to North Carolina, I then focused my marketing towards helping other singles relocate. Eventually, I realized that none of my clients were single and none of them wanted to relocate. What they needed was help in finding what’s next for them–usually a career.
I soon realized that my prior business experiences could help others who suffered while they were working and for those who have experienced a job loss. That realization started me down the path of looking at the parts from my past that I should bring forward.
I joined WaggleForce–a national network of career clubs that was a brain-child of Tory Johnson (Workplace contributor of Good Morning America). The day I decided to become a leader with them, I felt it was the right step for me. Little did I know that it would lead me to where I am now.
Once I met with my career club members, I jumped in and helped them with their resumes–which were sorely in need of a tune-up. That led me to pursuing a a certification in resume writing and expanding my practice to focus on career coaching.
Although I wish I would have gotten to where I am sooner, I am embracing the processional effect and know that everything happens in its own time. As Chellie reminded me that the importance of a goal is that it is a path leading you in a particular direction.
Our job, then, is just start along a path and begin. Trust that it doesn’t matter what you choose, life knows what you need and will guide you to where you need to be–if you pay attention.
As you look back over your life, can you now see what lessons you were learning and where life was leading you?
What feels good to you today? What feels empowering, creative, and exciting? Those are signposts that Life is giving you. Go do that.
Investment advice
Right from the get-go, you should know that this is not a blog on how to survive in this difficult economic environment–or advice on how to build up your retirement portfolio.
Several years ago, I found myself loving a particular Movado watch. When I went to any department store, I would find myself cruising by the jewelry department and check to see if they carried the watch I loved. Maybe it would be cheaper here. (It never was.)
I would notice anyone wearing that particular watch and would oooh and ahh. If only I could find it on sale. I’d buy it for myself–for sure. That never happened. For some reason, I couldn’t get beyond the asking price of $500.
This literally went on for a few years. I looked at other cheaper watches, but it was this particular watch that called my name. It never DID go on sale. This seemed to be an unmistakable luxury.
Eventually, as I was buying my daughter a college graduation gift and I bought her some diamond earrings, it came to me. Why is it that I would always find the funds to purchase for my daughter, but not something that I wanted? I bought the watch–and yes, at full price.
While this was an example of a somewhat trivial item, I see similar struggles extending to investing in ourselves–with going back to school or pursuing a career we want.
Although we think nothing of paying for whatever our kids would need for their education, but when it comes to us–whoa. Slow down. Where’s the payback? Can we afford it? Where’s the guarantee? Are we not worth it? Kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?
Sure, there are a lot of risks in life–but when we know we’d regret not “going for it” — we need to give it our all and invest in our own future happiness.
What’s the Fabric of Your Life?
I didn’t realize until recently that my last years working in Corporate America–I was so unhappy that I “healed” my stress with retail therapy. I admit it–I love nice things. But working in an environment that sucked me dry–would intensify that “love.”
Perhaps you’ve been there–you come home exhausted every night and only had enough energy to turn on the TV and veg. I could probably get through a few chapters of a book–but other than my day to day commitments, there was little I was interested in.
So, on the weekend, shopping was very attractive to me. I didn’t have to think much–just whip out my money (or credit card) and take something home–which I could look at or wear…and enjoy for awhile. Easy!
The funny thing that happened after I got laid off and started my own business–now that my passion has been tapped and I love what I do–the shopping addiction automatically went away. I go to the mall when I need something, but I no longer enjoy looking at things when I don’t need anything.
I sometimes help a friend of mine who is a Move Manager. She helps older adults down-size into Assisted Living or Continuing Care type of facilities. Working with her has really changed the way I look at stuff.
I am even more aware of what an emotional connection we have with our things. Our memories are tied into our things–momentos from vacations, antiques from dead relatives, newspaper clippings about people we know.
Every time I work with my friend, I come home and get rid of more things. She shares the advice to sort things by joy, good, sad, bad. Keep the things that bring you joy and you like. If there are things that are tied closely to people you love that maybe have died–consider keeping those. Things that don’t work or are hidden away in an attic or garage–find better homes for them or put them in a trash.
The realization has been clear to me–that we keep the memories alive with our friends and family in our hearts. We really don’t need a symbol to remind us of that. Making room also provides space for new life to come in. Purging the old can be very refreshing for us! It’s love for people that really is important–isn’t it!
Taking a chance
It’s hard to believe that it was one year ago when a work-out person asked me if I wanted a cute little dog? I still don’t know why she picked me–although she said, “she just knew I was the right person for Josie.” I had starting thinking about getting a dog after my daughter recently had gotten a cute little chihuahua. So when this gal mentioned Josie was part chihuahua, I knew it was a “sign.”
I had a lot of fears and reservations. I was used to doing my own thing. I was now working from home, I liked my independence and loved to travel. I never considered getting a dog–because they were such high maintenance. But this seemed right. It would be my first dog since I was a kid. It was a big decision and yet, it seemed so right.
It’s hard to anticipate all the changes I would have to make. Would I regret accepting the dog? Would I hate having to take her out in the middle of winter? How much money would I have to spend on her? There were lots of unanswered questions, it still felt oddly comfortable when I heard myself saying, “Sure” but just on trial for a week. Ha!
Well, as they say, the rest is history. And today we are celebrating our first anniversary together. Remarkably, I have had no regrets–despite my friends and family still in disbelief that I have a dog and how much it’s changed my life.
Sure Josie is more labor intensive, it is a labor of love. I could sit at my computer all day without a break, and Josie “begging” to go out gives me a welcomed breath of fresh air. She has been a reminder of what’s important in life–family and friends. She’s definitely family.
Okay, you may not be ready to get a dog, but I want to encourage you to take a chance on something that feels right. Sure, you may not know how your decision will ultimately turn out. But the recipe for a juicy life is learning to listen to your heart and taking a chance.
Josie
Lessons from Mom
It’s Mother’s Day. A great day to remember my mom.
My mom died over 33 years ago–I was still in my 20′s. But even though she’s been gone a long time, hardly a day goes by where I don’t think of her in some way.
In church, there are her favorite hymns. At home, there’s the way she used to do things–and the foods she loved to cook. With my own kids, I often hear her giving me some of her wisdom–which I usually didn’t appreciate at the time, but now, I see how wise she really was.
My mom was not perfect and I have learned not to repeat her mistakes. I have learned forgiveness and to love her–warts and all.
She was one of the first women supervisors in the phone company. She was a good mentor to others and a loyal employee.
She led by example in many ways. She was fortunate to have a job during the depression. But she didn’t forget her cousins and nephews when they might not have clothes or food without her help. A generous spirit. I can only hope I have done enough to help others.
I used to hate it when little kids would come over and I watched her get “that look.” She was looking around the house to see what she could give them to take home. I worried, “not that toy” — nothing of mine was safe. It was her giving nature.
I wonder how my daughters will remember me when I’m gone. I hope they know, as I know now–that we moms do the best we can–always with unconditional love.
I hope you are remembering your mom today!
Personal branding
Have you captured your brand on your resume? What is a brand anyway?
I know when I first heard about branding, I was confused as to what it is and how it could help me. Here’s a couple of points that could help you.
We are familiar with brands when we consider products or services we buy or use. We see images the company tries to convey to us all around us. And while they may serve as an initial introduction, once we use their product or service, we develop our own image based on our personal experiences.
What do you think of when you think of Nike? ATT? Target? Walmart? All these have brand images they have spent a lot of money on their brand.
When preparing your resume, look at the overall image you want to convey to a prospective employer. While you may not have thought about it in this way, we have been building our brand by how we use our skills and strengths and the accomplishments we’ve made through the years.
Are you someone a “techie” who easily picks up new technology? Are you a leader who not only sees the big picture, but is able to implement the steps to achieve a goal? Maybe you’re always a “go-to” person in whatever organization you work in.
All of these are possible brands and are important aspects to capture on your resume.
