October 2018 - Jaqueline C. Ross LLC Life Coaching

If you are like many employees, the mere thought of your upcoming performance review can bring about a boatful of feelings some of which may include dread, worry or even apathy.

According to a Globoforce Workforce Mood Tracker report, 51 % of employees reported that their annual performance reviews were inaccurate and 53% of employees indicate that their performance reviews do not motivate them to work harder. And even more concerning, those who feel their performance reviews are inaccurate are twice as likely to seek new jobs.

There can be a variety of explanations that account for your ill feelings when it comes to the performance review system at your company. For example, you may feel that your manager does not really know your work or that they do not capture all your accomplishments and successes over your review period. You may perceive that your manager completed your review hastily and with indifference. You may discern that your review does not serve as a basis for growth and areas to develop professionally that are meaningful to you. If any of these impressions resonate or apply to your performance review experience, here are three strategies you can employ to give your review process more significance.

Strategy #1 – Create a list of your completions and send them to your manager monthly.

A proactive approach can be very effective and serve as a key strategy to have in your career arsenal. When you take regular steps to prepare for your review ahead of time, you and your manager will be able to craft a thoughtful and more precise review.

In a recent article I wrote about tooting your own hor n, keeping a file of your completed work and sending it to your boss monthly was a mechanism to keep track of your performance data. You don’t want to assume that your boss is aware of all the progress or obstacles you or your team have overcome so capturing this in writing and sending it out will assist in building real substance for your review.

Strategy #2 – Request more frequent, shorter discussions to get faster feedback/input.

You may be like many employees who do not have regular meetings with your manager to discuss your performance. If that is the case, request it. Advocate and ask for brief regular meetings with the purpose of getting feedback about your performance. Ask the following questions to solicit your manager’s impressions of your work.

What should I be doing more of? What should I be doing less of or stop completely? What should I be doing that I am not? And what is your biggest problem and how can I help to solve it? Take note of the feedback you receive and information that you obtain from these brief meetings and incorporate your managers input into your focus areas.

Strategy #3 – Utilize your tuition reimbursement to enhance your skills, education and/or professional development.

Many employers offer tuition reimbursement or tuition assistance programs as a perk to pay employees for them to enhance their education and ultimately their skill level. If your company does offer this benefit, it behooves you to take advantage of this offering.

Increasing your knowledge and skill level through your continued education is a great indicator of your investment in your own professional growth. It will also bode well on your performance review.

A coaching client of mine, who is a Vice President of Financial Planning for a large bank, was struggling with her writing skills. She was tasked with sending out a monthly newsletter highlighting relevant information in her field to the 300+ financial advisors in her company. She signed up for a business writing class and accessed her tuition reimbursement to do so. She learned quickly that this class was a useful venture. She received important feedback from outside sources, was able to network with new colleagues and friends, enhanced her writing abilities and identified this initiative on her most recent performance review. She was confidently able to say that she achieved a two-fold win; improvement in her professional skills and a benefit to the organization via quality company communication.

If you are like many who have had negative experiences in the performance review process at your organization, institute these three tips and take initiative to showcase your great work. Seth Godin once said, “Excellence isn’t about working extra hard to do what you’re told. It’s about taking the initiative to do work you decide is worth doing.” Your great work does matter.

The ability to communicate your thoughts and ideas clearly in front of a group is a professional skill you’ll need to advance in your career. Developing a high level of competence and confidence in public speaking will increase the perception others have of your abilities and enhance your eligibility for promotion. However, I know that the thought of speaking to a group, can generate fear and possibly an unnerving level of anxiety. This state even has a name: glossophobia – the fear of public speaking.

Twenty five years ago I debuted conducting my first trainings and as a professional speaker I have now delivered well over 2000+ workshops and presentations since then. It may seem surprising, but I do continue to practice the following strategies to work through the normal presentation jitters.

So, if you are about to update your team on a project, having a prepared script with a compelling message, an analysis of the needs of your audience and audio/visual illustrations ready are key. Then, follow these three tips to help you get into your best presentation flow and rhythm.

Tip #1 – Be you and the best you.

There are a wealth of amazing speakers out there ranging from my personal favorite, Tony Robbins, to Les Brown, to Nick Vujicic just to name a few who have created their own unique speaking personas. And as much as I would love to be viewed as a female version of Tony Robbins, I could never emulate and capture that same style without losing some parts of myself.

So, I encourage you to identify the qualities of those speakers you admire and adopt and tap into what fits you and your personality. Encourage yourself to believe that to be a credible speaker and presenter you must bring yourself to the ‘stage’. You do not have to be anyone else but you. For example, you will more effectively facilitate a meeting and share your important messages to your team and colleagues when done with authenticity.

Tip #2 – You can be an introvert and be an exceptional speaker.

You can be an introvert and an amazing speaker however if you are an introvert you may need to drum up your extroverted persona while on ‘stage’. Most often people tend to associate shyness and introversion as analogous. These two tendencies are different from one another. You may believe that introversion and public speaking may not be aligned. However, advocating for a point of view at a team meeting is important and will get your voice and opinion on the table.

Introversion, in fact, is more about where you derive your energy and where you recharge your batteries rather than if you could speak in front of others. For example, most people don’t believe me when I say that I am an introvert. I can happily present in front of hundreds of people and do so with energy and vitality however the impact is that it does drain my energy source. Conducive to refueling for introverts, I need to do so in a quiet, solitary place. Barack Obama, Warren Buffett and Michael Jordan are all examples of exceptional public speakers and are introverts. If you are an introvert, you may need to find some private solace after conducting a training in order to re-energize.

Tip #3 – Practice the heck out of your material.

Practice, practice, practice and practice some more. For example, you may be training a new group of employees on a new process or system. To be best prepared practice in the car, practice at home, practice anywhere you can and do so out loud. Whether I am preparing for a networking event or conducting a workshop or presentation I practice what I am going to say out loud repeatedly. I do so until I feel comfortable with my presentation and delivery.

Christopher Witt recommends a three-tiered speech practice system; practice your speech in your mind, stand up and practice your speech out loud and then stand up and practice your speech in a setting like where you will be presenting.

Carmine Gallo came up with a phrase called “the magic power of 10”. He notes that if you practice your presentation out loud, with clicker in hand, at least ten times, you will be significantly more confident, comfortable and polished.

So, if you want to kick up your public speaking delivery at your next team meeting with self-assurance and credence, utilize these three tips. As Mark Twain stated, “it usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech”.

3 Strategies to Make your Work Performance Review Feel More Meaningful

Three Tips to Sharpen Your Public Speaking Delivery on the Job

Archive for month: October, 2018