Take control of your performance review
It’s a great feeling when you take control of your performance reviewing.
It’s your performance, so assert your ownership and responsibility.
What will it do?
This tool is all about some very specific things that will put you in control of your review and help you become expert on your performance. That way you can maintain consistency when things are going well and recover quicker from a loss of form when they’re not.
It won’t happen overnight (unless you’re very lucky), though it will happen if you keep using it over the next 6 months. Use it once a month, updating it each time. It’ll take 30-45 minutes to do it properly and you’ll get quicker with each go.
Three steps to take
Get focused on the things that will make the most impact for you.
1. Protect some time
Put time in your diary each month to review your performance with yourself. You have to commit to keeping this appointment with yourself.
2. Complete this table.
We’ve put some examples in to help you along.
| Number | Question | Score (if you like scoring things) | Thoughts, reflections & lessons learned | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Picture of success – what’s my picture of success for this review? | |||
| 2 | Since the last review, what did I set out to achieve? | |||
| 3 | What did I actually achieve? | |||
| 4 | What did I do that helped cause No.3? Include things like my attitude, my skills, where I’m spending my time, my energy levels, my confidence, the support I got, making my work environment work well for me etc. | |||
| 5 | What are the key resources (systems, processes, people, tools) available to me? | |||
| 6 | How well did I use them to maximum effect? | |||
| 7 | How well are my goals working for me in terms of my motivation and focus? | |||
| 8 | How strong has my motivation been and what’s contributed to that? | |||
| 9 | What important strengths have I played to? | |||
| 10 | What else have I noticed? |
3. What next?
Share your review with 1 or 2 people who always add value for you and ask them if they’d add anything that could help your performance even more.
Your plan
Get a plan Stan. This is about getting going. The basics you need to have in your plan are set out below.
Plan basics
- What are you going to do? (This bit is easy – it’s probably the 3 things listed above.)
My actions:
- When are you going to do these things? (You don’t have to be great to get going, but you better get going if you want to be great)
My start date:
- How often will you be doing them? (Getting great has a lot to do with making things a habit)
Check-in frequency and dates:
Get serious
The difference between having a plan and making it work is about action. So get this in your diary now. Tell the people who need to know so that they can support you and won’t just think you’re being weird. Do it now.
Remember, it’s progress not perfection. You’re looking for gradual improvement, not for Rome to be built in a day.