Time to Clean House!
It’s spring. Time to clean your closets. That could mean your closet, back room, drawers and files at work also. You could apply this to not only the physical drawers of your office but also to your policies & procedures. For me, spring time is a great time to evaluate and make changes. That also applies to my work habits.
Sandra Wiley’s article in this Boomer Bulletin on performance appraisals refers to communicating shortcomings, playing fair and recognition. As a staff member on the receiving end of a performance evaluation, I value the critiques, guidance and encouragement during my quarterly evaluation. It’s a gauge for me to see if the customer service I have given to the staff within my company has been as effective as my opinion of it has been. It is also a time to get direction for the road ahead. Maybe I need to make some changes and what better time to discuss those changes than during an evaluation.
In addition, it’s a time to realign my priorities. Ask questions of any critiques on shortcomings about what I could have done differently or could do differently in the future to meet the expectations. It can be a great experience of growing and changing if you let it be.
I encourage you to approach your next evaluation with an attitude of learning and growth. Do a little cleaning of your past habits and look forward to new things to come.