‘Tis The Season For The Performance Review
It’s review season and you know what that means, right? Sheer panic! Your manager is going to tell you all of the horrible things that they have thought about you all year, your performance is terrible and they want to put you on a probationary period or worse yet, fire you. Right?….Wrong!!!!
So you may wonder, where does this come from? Even high performing employees worry that their manager is going to come out and suddenly tell them that they are not performing well. The fact is that by the time you have your performance review there should be no surprises. You and your manager should have already had conversations throughout the year. Unfortunately, self doubt is pretty normal which is more about your fears than it is about what your manager thinks of you.
I was one of the unusual people that really looked forward to this time of year. Not because I was a stellar employee and wanted to hear my manager tell me great things, but because I wanted to hear what I could be doing better and what he was able to see that I wasn’t. Here are a few tips to reframe your thinking coming into what can be a very stressful time:
Ask the question, “What can I be doing better?” ~ Initially there will be discussion around your goals, if they have been met and how well you were able to meet them. Regardless if you are the shining star in the department, there is always something that can be learned, changed or done better. Your manager is the perfect person to see this because they are not as close to the work as you are and can generally be relatively objective. Don’t see this an attack on your personal character. See it as an opportunity to be much better at what you are doing.
Understand the impact of your work ~ Sometimes when employees are at the administrative level, they don’t think that their work has any impact on the company. It really does and so that you can better understand this, ask your manager how they feel that your work has helped them or others to achieve their objectives. You might be pleasantly surprised. Knowing this might also help to shape some of your objectives for the coming year.
What are the concerns being heard at the senior level? ~ Your manager will be involved in or privy to many meetings and conversations with people at the more senior level so they tend to be aware of what is working and what can be done better. Ask them what they are hearing and how you might be able to help. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to step up to the plate, show what you are made of and shine in the coming year. Always be thinking about how you can be a part of the solution.
View this time as constructive and an opportunity for you to contribute more to the success of the company. The higher up you go in the company, the more busy your manager is so you must take ownership of your career path. Try to understand the bigger picture and come to your manager with solutions. They will appreciate it, I promise.
Always remember that there are no failures, only opportunities to grow.
Living a Dream ~ Insight to Inspiration
I sit here on a Sunday morning with my coffee, my laptop and my dog in my lap (yes, both at the same time (it’s a good thing he is only 7 pounds), thinking about the dream that I am living.
One year ago, I was on the corporate hamster wheel working for a startup company, flying all over the country and never knowing what time zone I was in. Today, I sit in my living room realizing how far I’ve come. I’m living a life that I could have only 
dreamed of the past 20 years but seemed so far out of reach, being a young single parent. I have such a different perspective on life today. For all of the amazing people that can only dream about living their dream, I share with you my insight:
~Every experience that I have had up till today has helped to give me the strength, tools and the courage to take the biggest risk of my life. I don’t regret any of it. We have a choice in life. We can look back on it with pity or use it to catapult us to do great things. I’ve chosen the latter. So many people don’t know the details of my story, but I can assure you they will be revealed over time through my book, workshops and speaking. You will not want to miss it.
~Life has so much more meaning when you are doing what you love. There is absolutely nothing wrong with climbing the corporate ladder if that is where you want to be. If your heart is somewhere else…follow it. You cannot imagine what you will uncover.
~Be grateful for the people that were the hardest on you in your life (and I don’t mean abusive) and held you to a high standard. Those are the ones that will teach you the biggest lessons and help you to grow the most. I will never forget the ones that have done that for me.
~When you make a big change and feel alone, just remember that you are really not alone. I’ve realized over the past 6 months that there are so many other women out there like me who took a tremendous risk to change their lives. It’s scary, believe me! But knowing that others have done it and have been successful keeps me completely inspired. I want to be one of those women who inspires others to take a risk. I’m also grateful for the new friends and old ones that have surrounded and supported me. You realize very quickly who the “real” people are in your life. You all know who you are and I will hold on to you forever!
~Love every minute of what you are doing. If things don’t work out as planned, it means that wasn’t in the plan. There is something better waiting for you. I’m cherishing every moment of this experience because it is going to make me a better, more insightful person. See the lesson in everything you do.
~Everyone always talks about finding your passion. Often times we need to experience life before we realize what our true passion is. If I had not walked the path that I did, I don’t think that I would have realized that right here is where I need to be.
For all of the young adults out there who are trying to figure out where you need to be, realize that you are right where you are suppose to be and you are walking the path to finding your passion. Savor every moment, realize the lesson in each experience and use it all to figure out what your true passion really is.
