In January, I got to translate some virtual connections into real-life contacts, and had the opportunity to meet the incredible Joey Price, CEO of JumpStart HR. He is a wealth of information, and generous to boot. He shares some very specific tips on how you can shine in your next performance review.
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Document, document, document. Are you the kind of person who keeps a list for everything? If so, pat yourself on the back and create a list for your accomplishments. If not, it’s time to get started! There’s an old proverb that says “history is told by the one who controls the pen.” Take note of your daily accomplishments and keep them all in one place. A journal is a good start but for the more tech-savvy list maker, an Evernote journal or email inbox journal will do the trick.
Get into a [consistent] rhythm. If you wait until the end of a review period or the end of a year, it’s very easy to forget some of your biggest accomplishments. Learn to get in the habit of recalling your accomplishments on a daily or weekly so that you don’t miss out on sharing your valuable contributions!
Think “results” and not process. Often times, people forget that a resume should read like a performance review and not a process review. You have to remember that managers value outcomes and great outcomes are valued even more. Keep you performance review notes detailed and ask yourself “does this show how I did what I did or does it show what happened as a result of what I did?” The latter is more beneficial than the former.
It’s your story to tell, arm yourself with the facts. When I am sitting in an interview, I’m listening for whether or not the interviewee can communicate with facts and experience and not just feelings. Convincing another person about your skills and abilities can go a lot smoother when you list the facts of your results and the benefits of your efforts.
Begin with the end in mind. The purpose of a review cycle is to identify all of your accomplishments and see how effective you’ve been in accomplishing a goal. Keep that in mind as you jot your accomplishments down. If you have a goal, it’s important to set that at the beginning of the year and be intentional about accomplishing things that get you closer to your end goal.