Writing an annual Self-assessment or evaluation can be hard even if you are Boss Lady! Sometimes it is challenging to know all of the right elements to include, especially if you aren’t given much guidance. I find myself stuck between tooting my own horn and not giving myself enough credit for the things I have accomplished. Almost everyone has to write some sort of assessment. Even if your job says that it is “optional,” always take the opportunity to do self-reflection and evaluation. Completing these can be a great developmental opportunity. If you get useful feedback on a well-written assessment, it will for sure help you in your career. I have my top 5 tips every Boss Lady can use to write your best self-assessment yet!
1.Collect Feedback throughout the year
Document your wins-This is a tip someone gave me midyear and I wish I had been documenting more things since day 1! It is so hard to remember all the things you accomplish within a year and if you don’t document these milestones, you might leave out an important one. Even if you aren’t going to list out every achievement, it is great to have a few solid examples to support how you accomplished your goals. You want to be as detailed and specific as possible.
Getting feedback from people you work with throughout the year is key. Sometimes people won’t tell you what you should improve on until it shows up in your annual assessment. By then, you could have already fixed the problem. Be proactive and figure out how you can continually improve.
2.Reference your current job description
What are your actual responsibilities? Of course, you know what you do on a daily basis, but what did you sign up to do when you accepted the position? This is helpful to review as you reflect to see if you are meeting those requirements and where you can grow.
3.Set goals to operate at the next level
If you’re perfectly content being where you are at your job, then skip this step. But if you’re a Boss Lady I know you want to continue to climb that ladder! So many people get frustrated when they don’t get promoted for “doing their job.” Well, you shouldn’t. In the point above I mention look at your current job description to see what you already signed up for. That means your job already agreed to pay you an amount for what you are already doing. If you take on more responsibilities and add value to your company, that is when you should see the increases.
It’s also important not to jump to wanting a promotion and additional responsibilities until you are ready. I’d rather be super stellar in my current position than mediocre in my next. When you get promoted, it shouldn’t feel like a huge change in responsibilities because you should have already been operating at that next level to show that you were prepared to take that next title.
4.Stay Honest
This point is pretty straightforward. Be honest about strengths and weaknesses. Don’t play yourself, but don’t over embellish what you actually accomplished.
5.Give yourself credit!
It is okay to shine a little! You want your company to see the value you add. You add value to not just your company, but to your team as well. You don’t want to sell yourself short not including any big milestones (which is why it is good to keep track of them all year). You can shine and still be humble.
Have you guys used any of these strategies? What are your tactics?
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