Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Your 2018 Performance Review
2018 is almost officially over! I cannot think of a better day than December 31 to really take some time before the NYE turn up to reflect on my 2018 performance. These tips for self-assessment and goal setting can be applied in both your work and personal lives.
How Did I Do?
Pull out the outline of the goals you had at the beginning of the year and review the results. Did you achieve all the goals? Did you knock some goals out of the park but struggled to complete others? Assess all your goals and understand how you were able to achieve the ones you met and figure out what made you miss the mark on the ones you did not meet. If these goals are still pertinent in 2019, come up with new action plans for these goals.
Pull Out Your Star File
I keep a “Kelli Star” file where I track all my work achievements throughout the year. This may also be applied to your personal lives. In this file I keep track of all my achievements at work for the year. I go through this list very carefully and match it against project trackers, meeting notes and emails to ensure I have not missed anything. I try to quantify my achievements. Dollar amounts, percentages, numbers, numbers, numbers. Some things cannot be quantified but the value added should be clearly outlined.
Highlight Shortcomings and Your Comeback
While you are looking at your achievements, it is also imperative to be truthful and objective in highlighting any shortcomings you have had in your performance over the past year. Really think about the areas in which you struggled throughout the year or concerns your manager raised throughout the year regarding your performance. Once you have identified these areas, think about how you made your comeback or how you are going to make a comeback. What adjustments did you make to comeback from your previous shortcomings? How are you going to comeback from the shortcomings you are still experiencing?
What is the Future Looking Like?
Now that you have a clear picture of the past, let’s look to the future. Time to create goals for the new year. It is your life. Put some thought into where you’d like to be and then figure out possible paths to the achieving the end results you would like. Once you see the path, create realistic and measurable goals for the year. I would also advise you to do some reading on writing SMART goals by doing a quick Google search.
Share Your Goals and Request Feedback
Many companies have structured performance review and goal setting meetings each year. This is usually the setting where your manager assesses your performance over the past year. You can also present your assessment of your performance over the year and discuss the goals you have set. You would then collaborate with your manager to define goals for the new year. However, if that is not the case in your workplace, I would encourage you to schedule a meeting with your manager to discuss your self-assessment and discuss the goals for the new year. By doing this, your manager can provide input that you may have overlooked and vice-versa.
A similar approach can be taken in your personal lives. Share your self-assessment and new goals with people who know you well. They may be able to provide some insight that you may have missed. Some outside perspective can prove to be very valuable.
I hope these tips will help you to navigate through the new year and beyond! Have a great 2019!