Tips for Fair Performance Evaluations

I want to share a valuable tip that has proven instrumental in my career growth: creating an ongoing documentation of your accolades, projects, and accomplishments. In the hustle and bustle of our professional lives, it's easy to lose track of the significant contributions we make on a daily basis. From completing projects to hitting milestones, impacting organizations, and mentoring or leading teams, each achievement deserves recognition and documentation. Why is this documentation essential? It serves as a powerful tool during performance reviews. When your boss asks what you've accomplished, having a comprehensive record at your fingertips ensures that your contributions are acknowledged and valued. It's all too common to overlook our successes amidst the daily grind and burnout. Don't let your hard work go unnoticed simply because you haven't kept track of it. Moreover, maintaining a record of your achievements is invaluable when updating your resume or preparing for interviews and promotions. It provides concrete evidence of your capabilities and highlights your impact within your organization. As someone who understands the importance of documentation firsthand, I encourage you to start or continue this practice. Your future self will thank you for it. #careeradvice #interviewtip #recruitment #careergrowth

I remember being so upset when I didn't get advancement opportunities at work. I quickly learned that being a "good" performer often means being overlooked when it comes to career acceleration. Good performance leaves you in the people pile with the majority of employees. The key to career acceleration is to stand out. The best way to stand out is to Exceed Expectations. I realized I had to get very clear on what exceeding expectations meant to my leader. Here are some questions I asked: 1️⃣ What needs to be true for me to exceed your expectations?  2️⃣ What did the last person in this position do very well and where did they miss the mark?  3️⃣ What would you say are my strengths? How can I grow them further? 4️⃣ What are my opportunity areas? How do you suggest I grow in these areas? By asking these questions and acting on the feedback, I started to stand out. Leaders started to notice, and I started to get offered more opportunities inside and outside of my organization. 🌟 Don't settle for being just another face in the office —aim to stand out and reach your career goals whatever they are. You got this! 💪 How are you ensuring that you exceed expectations in your workplace? Share your strategies in the comments below. 👇 #LeadershipCoaching #CareerDevelopment #ThoughtLeadership

It's that time again. The dreaded annual performance review. Annual performance reviews are undeniably ineffective. (Yes, I’m an “HR person” putting a nail in the coffin of an activity that’s been our swan-song for eons….)    Survey after notable survey have reported that nearly every manager AND employee questioned believe that annual performance reviews weren’t effective or useful.    My friends, the traditional process is flawed.    Why?    First, the traditional review process focuses on the past rather than the future. This backward-looking conversation has shown to demotivate employees. (And, who really remembers what they did 11 months ago!? Raise your hand if you’ve reviewed your calendar from the past 12-months to remember what you did and accomplished? 🙋♀️)    So, how do you hold staff accountable while avoiding a cumbersome (and demoralizing) conversation?    Here’s the deal -    Employees prefer consistent, timely feedback to address roadblocks, receive recognition, and build a foundation of trust with their leaders. That’s why a less formal, more consistent approach to performance management benefits employee, team, and business success.    So, what should the process be?     1. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗲-𝗼𝗻-𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀  These informal meetings serve as an opportunity to recognize employees for their hard work, assess roadblocks, and coach performance. Regular one-on-ones help managers evaluate results as they come, not months later. That way, you can correct ineffective processes before they become a habit.    2. 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸-𝗶𝗻𝘀  Quarterly checks are a great supplement to your one-on-one opportunities. These can be more formal.    3. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝘁𝘄𝗼-𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸  This enables both employees and managers to ask for feedback. Not only does this make employees feel like their opinions matter, but it gives managers the insight they need to improve the employee experience and grow as a leader. In addition, your employees will be more likely to accept feedback without hesitation when it goes both ways.    4. 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀  Career development conversations help employees and managers align on the future. These conversations allow managers to recognize employee talent. When you show an employee that they are valued, you’ll be able to bring out their full potential.    The war for talent is real. It’s critical for leaders to establish a routine where expectations are clear, direct feedback is delivered real-time, and career development is actively supported.    How do you review your employees? And as an employee, how would you like to be reviewed?

HOW to “BRAG RIGHT” (From the new book: Your Work Does Not Speak For Itself--You Do) POINTERS for NOTING & SHARING YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS Establish an on-the-job personal promotion mindset. It is OK for you to promote yourself appropriately.  Done properly, this is NOT bragging. Maintain a professional inventory of your “wins.” No matter how large or how small, over time they add up. Consistently review and realize just HOW MUCH you have accomplished! Appropriately inform your supervisor’s boss that you make a difference. Casually share with them about that Saturday you spent at the office practicing that new client pitch. Always, always, always have an accomplishment ready to share. (See 2 and 3 above.) Be prepared to engage the regional VP when she happens to be the only other person in the elevator. (It happens!) To be successful in that fifteen to twenty seconds, have an accomplishment ready to share that’s 'good for all occasions'. You CAN quantify your value even if you don’t generate revenue. The sales team generates revenue. Everyone else SAVES money by doing what they do efficiently! Tell them how you save. Ask customers and vendors if they recall anything special you did for them. If they’re curious as to why you’re asking, tell them you’re prepping for your performance review. Adopt an ROI (Return On Investment) mantra: You see your paycheck as payment for services rendered. Your employer sees your paycheck as their investment in you. Would YOU invest in YOU doing the job YOU do? Don’t take for granted that what you do is usual. You might be a receptionist or an admin or an inventory clerk. You are there because you are essential. Do well. Be seen. Move up. As you grow professionally, appreciate, and accept the praise, the confidence, and the motivation that comes with doing a job well. Do not be afraid to let your boss or his boss or her boss know that you really are “all that.” (See 1 above.) With accomplishments in hand, do not be afraid to ask for a raise or a promotion. Be prepared to tell the story behind the accomplishment. Speak about your work. Share the Who, What, Where, When, Why & How (WWWWW & H) + any $'s made or saved due to your achievements. Don’t wait for a pat on the back. It may never happen. But that’s OK. You’ve got this! "ACCOMPLISHMENTS. The Currency of Your Career"

𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘 𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗨𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦: Employees often assume (wrongly) that their hard work and results will be enough when managers make decisions about their future growth and promotion opportunities. Make no mistake, performance is critical for advancing your career, but it is far from the only reason employees get promoted. The unfortunate truth is judgments that leaders make about your performance are clouded by human bias and the complexity of being able to clearly delineate individual performance, when most work is done in teams. Unfortunately, this can leave employees feeling overlooked when leaders make decisions about advancement and promotions. This is why it is important to be a self-advocate about the value you bring and how you are contributing to the companies’ success. 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 Visibility matters, when you have occasion to mention accomplishments to your leaders, do so. Help your leaders understand how your accomplishments contributed to your team’s overall success. Clearly let your leaders know that you enjoyed being involved and you are excited about your contribution. When you receive compliments from clients or customers, request that they send a note to your manager and their manager. It is okay for you to be an advocate for yourself! 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗣𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 If you and your manager do not have ongoing conversations about your career development, it is your responsibility to initiate these conversations. Take the responsibility to ask your manager if you can set up quarterly meetings that focus on your performance and ongoing development. Put together a set of draft development goals for your manager to review and give feedback. Show up prepared to engage with them about your performance, future development, and career aspirations.   Do you agree? Share your COMMENTS below. ⤵️ Subscribe to my ↗️ 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 ↗️, LinkedIn newsletter to join 37,453 others who receive biweekly practical tips for Self-Leadership and Leading Others: https://lnkd.in/dYRwgY96 ✅

It's that time of the year again—performance review season. My most significant advice for those going through one for the first or the 100th time is the same. YOU are your only comparison point. - Not the market. - Not your teammate. - Not a friend who is in a similar position to you. - Not the person who got promoted in finance last year. The comparison game is easy because you can benchmark your accomplishments against someone else's progress. The problem is that it usually comes off as petty and uninformed—your situation is different, and you don't know that person's complete story. Instead, compare yourself today to who you were before. - Processes you've enhanced. - Weaknesses you've improved. - New responsibilities you've taken on. - Where you want to build for the new year. These should have metrics attached with specific examples to strengthen your case. By highlighting how you've grown, without anchoring to someone else, you can more effectively negotiate your position and achieve a higher than inflationary raise. Good luck, and happy negotiating! #EGDataGuy #negotiating #performance

Most managers are bad at a critical part of their job... b/c most probably don't think it's their job. 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭! It's something I frequently think about. And I hope anyone who has ever worked for me feels this. Here are some of the things I do to help develop my team. 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲 When someone joins the team, I send a Welcome Survey that covers work styles, professional development & personal interests. Questions include:  – What impact do you want to have at Crosschq? – What are you most excited to learn in your new role? – What are your career goals in the next 5 to 10 years? – List 3-5 professional skills that you'd like to develop in the next year. – What would make this job especially meaningful and enjoyable? DM me for my full survey. 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤-𝐈𝐧𝐬 Different than a weekly 1:1, in this meeting, we take a step back to assess how things are going. I'll often pull up the welcome survey to guide the conversation, but it's a chance to ensure:  – They are getting what they need out of the job – The company is getting what it needs from them I'm asking questions like:  – Do you know what is expected of you? – Do you have what you need to be successful?  – Do you feel like your work is having an impact?  – Are you enjoying your work and the people you work with?  – Do you feel like you have the opportunity to do your best work? Then, we spend a chunk of time on career pathing so they know what’s needed to move to the next level. 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 Any good manager knows they must give frequent feedback, but there's still value in more formal performance reviews. Feedback is something I try to weave into the culture by training my team on how to give & receive feedback. Personally, it's something I'm still working on. 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭 One of the most important things a leader must do is intentionally create their team culture. I believe this is separate (but strongly aligned with) the company culture. The best way to do that: values & operating principles. One of the core principles I always set is continuous learning and a growth mindset. Other things I think about for good career development: 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Open comm ensures everyone feels comfortable discussing their aspirations, concerns & feedback. 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Involve other stakeholders/depts to ensure that development plans are holistic and integrated into the broader org strategy. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 Eveyrone is unique. Personalize the plan to suit their specific needs & aspirations. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 Be open about the business's needs and how they align with individual growth paths, so expectations are clear on both sides. 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Allow everyone the autonomy to make decisions regarding their career path, providing guidance and support as needed. What would you add? 

Whether it's performance review time for you right now or not, any 1-1 conversation with your leader is a good time to advocate for your career goals. Why? One of the best pieces of career advice I've ever heard is from Carla Harris. She says, “The majority of decisions about your career will be made when you are not in the room.” One of the comments many women tell me is that they wonder if they are selling themselves short. Some clues you may be selling yourself short include: ▫️Not owning your part in contributing to group results ▫️Not naming and claiming your contribution to business outcomes ▫️Diminishing your role or part in something when compliments are given ▫️Dismissing the talents or skills you used to achieve these outcomes ▫️Not believing you are qualified for a raise or promotion, even though you've worked harder than others ▫️Believing you need “just one more” certification, experience or educational experience to be ready Here are four places you can look to help you link the value your bring to the organization: 1️⃣ How did I help the company make money this year? 2️⃣ How did I help the company save money this year? 3️⃣ How did I help lead change in my company? 4️⃣ How did I help my company reduce risk or exposure? Carla’s truth bomb reminds us of how important it is to tell our leaders what we desire, what results we've created and what we've impacted so they can use that language to advocate for us in decision-making rooms about our careers. #womenleaders #careers #leadershipdevelopment #confidence

Here's one skill you'll need to improve your next performance review. 📖 Storytelling. Sharing the data and facts is good. But stories help emphasize your impact. And your impact is what matters most to your boss. Imagine you're discussing a successful project during your performance review: ❌ Don't just say: "I led a successful project that exceeded our targets." ✅ Tell a Compelling Story: "We faced a critical challenge, tight deadlines, and skeptical stakeholders. In the eleventh hour, our team rallied. We had late-night strategy sessions, tackled unforeseen roadblocks, and, against all odds, not only met but exceeded our targets by 15%. Exceeding our targets brought in additional revenue of $500,000." By weaving a narrative around your achievements, you're not just providing information on the impact you made but creating a memorable story that resonates with your audience. This approach allows your boss to understand the success quantitatively and emotionally connect with the journey and effort behind it. What career achievements can you create stories for? ----------------------------------- 📧 : Subscribe to the Career Contessa | Job Search + Career Advice newsletter @ the link in my bio 🔔 Follow me Lauren McGoodwin for more career tips 🎧 Listen to the Career Contessa podcast: https://bit.ly/473K9X1 🔄 Repost to share this tip with your network #careerdevelopment #performancereview #personaldevelopment #careergrowth #management