本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Do your homework ahead of your appraisal
Do appraisals make you want to stick your head in the sand? The reality is that it's your only chance to be as selfish as you can be at work.
By Wayne Clarke
Published: 6:42PM BST 15 Sep 2009
Do your homework ahead of your appraisal
It's all about you, your personal growth, what you want to achieve in your professional life and ultimately how well you will be able to provide for your family. Take advantage of the one moment that your manager is meeting you to talk about you – not the company's targets.
No one cares about your own career more than you do. This may seem harsh but the reality is that it gives everyone the chance to focus on personal growth and the skills needed to develop.
To get a clear picture of what you've achieved since your last appraisal take a step back, go through your emails from the last few months. Obviously, you need to keep them to be able to do this, so avoid the temptation (and advice from the IT department) to delete, delete, delete. Go through your diary to find the meetings you attended. It's easy to forget what you've been working on. Next step is to show how your achievements fit with your development plan and objectives agreed at your last review.
Ahead of your appraisal do an investigation into the objectives of your organisation, your department, your team and your manager, and use them as a platform for setting up your own objectives for the next few months. Ensuring they match is a smart move – your manager won't be able to challenge goals if they sound like they directly support your company.
Priorities can change quickly, even more so at the moment. Objectives set up six months ago might not be relevant anymore and you could have been too busy with delivering projects rather than focusing on agreed objectives.
It might look as if you haven't achieved anything. Instead of worrying about this and making up excuses, speak to your manager regularly and challenge approved goals. You have to re-evaluate what is important on a regular basis and keep communicating with your manager to avoid any unpleasant surprises when review time comes around.
No excuses though if you really haven't delivered. Be an adult and admit it. Stay calm and keep with the facts. It's all too easy to get emotional – work is a huge part of life.
Everyone has plans and hopes and most of the time people see appraisals as a chance to get a promotion or at least a pay rise. But money right now is hard to come by, so what if more money or a promotion are not an option? Instead of looking for a new job right away, think about long-term career plans. Staying with the same company for another year can be turned into an advantage in these times.
But that does not mean you should stay with your employer against the odds. If you're unhappy with your review then maybe it's really time to move on. After my graduation I worked in an accounting firm where I reached a cul de sac and decided it was time to seek new challenges. My manager told me: "If you leave now and come back in two years, you might actually be hired in a higher position than you'd get to if you stayed here."
The best piece of advice is to think long term about your career instead of focusing on the now and here.
TOP TIPS
* Discussing your development plans and setting up objectives makes an ideal appraisal.
* Don’t think only about money. Focus on what you need to grow and develop.
* Set up exciting objectives — this will make your career more enjoyable.
* Align your goals with companies’ priorities. Re-evaluate them regularly.
* Celebrate your successes. No one else will.
Wayne Clarke is a managing partner at Best Companies Partnership更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
Do appraisals make you want to stick your head in the sand? The reality is that it's your only chance to be as selfish as you can be at work.
By Wayne Clarke
Published: 6:42PM BST 15 Sep 2009
Do your homework ahead of your appraisal
It's all about you, your personal growth, what you want to achieve in your professional life and ultimately how well you will be able to provide for your family. Take advantage of the one moment that your manager is meeting you to talk about you – not the company's targets.
No one cares about your own career more than you do. This may seem harsh but the reality is that it gives everyone the chance to focus on personal growth and the skills needed to develop.
To get a clear picture of what you've achieved since your last appraisal take a step back, go through your emails from the last few months. Obviously, you need to keep them to be able to do this, so avoid the temptation (and advice from the IT department) to delete, delete, delete. Go through your diary to find the meetings you attended. It's easy to forget what you've been working on. Next step is to show how your achievements fit with your development plan and objectives agreed at your last review.
Ahead of your appraisal do an investigation into the objectives of your organisation, your department, your team and your manager, and use them as a platform for setting up your own objectives for the next few months. Ensuring they match is a smart move – your manager won't be able to challenge goals if they sound like they directly support your company.
Priorities can change quickly, even more so at the moment. Objectives set up six months ago might not be relevant anymore and you could have been too busy with delivering projects rather than focusing on agreed objectives.
It might look as if you haven't achieved anything. Instead of worrying about this and making up excuses, speak to your manager regularly and challenge approved goals. You have to re-evaluate what is important on a regular basis and keep communicating with your manager to avoid any unpleasant surprises when review time comes around.
No excuses though if you really haven't delivered. Be an adult and admit it. Stay calm and keep with the facts. It's all too easy to get emotional – work is a huge part of life.
Everyone has plans and hopes and most of the time people see appraisals as a chance to get a promotion or at least a pay rise. But money right now is hard to come by, so what if more money or a promotion are not an option? Instead of looking for a new job right away, think about long-term career plans. Staying with the same company for another year can be turned into an advantage in these times.
But that does not mean you should stay with your employer against the odds. If you're unhappy with your review then maybe it's really time to move on. After my graduation I worked in an accounting firm where I reached a cul de sac and decided it was time to seek new challenges. My manager told me: "If you leave now and come back in two years, you might actually be hired in a higher position than you'd get to if you stayed here."
The best piece of advice is to think long term about your career instead of focusing on the now and here.
TOP TIPS
* Discussing your development plans and setting up objectives makes an ideal appraisal.
* Don’t think only about money. Focus on what you need to grow and develop.
* Set up exciting objectives — this will make your career more enjoyable.
* Align your goals with companies’ priorities. Re-evaluate them regularly.
* Celebrate your successes. No one else will.
Wayne Clarke is a managing partner at Best Companies Partnership更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net