Clearly, it's in your best interests to take a hard look at your performance beforeyour boss does. You also have to assess yourself from your boss's pointof view. Maybe you'd understand someone who left 10 minutes early ona Friday -- but would your boss?
Robert Wilson is a partner in an employment consulting service called JobBridge, as well as an author and a video producer of employment resources.
"At some point, you have to assess what you think is good and bad aboutyour performance with what the supervisor thinks is good and bad, becausehe or she is the one that counts."
The following eight steps will help you help yourself:
Check Your Attitude
"Attitude is very important," says employment consultant Rick Waters. "Imeet with a lot of employers, and they tell me the first thing they look foris a person with a good attitude. Doing the work properly is only part ofthe equation. The other part is your attitude.
"Do you come in late, leave early, spend time talking to friends insteadof working, dress inappropriately, phone in sick when you want a day off,help yourself to company supplies for your personal use or are you rude toother people?
"Any of these things will earn you the reputation of someone with a badattitude."
Be Reflective
"Every day on your way home from work, think about how the day went andwhat you accomplished. Ask yourself what went well, what didn't go well,and what you could have done better," advises Carol Coe.
She leads a group of teachers that help one another with self-assessment.
"Get in the habit of reflecting on your performance. Every week, set job-relatedgoals for yourself. Do it in writing because that helps to clarify your thoughts.Then at the end of the week, view your goals to see how you did."
Kerry Mahoney, a university training and development coordinator, agreeswhole-heartedly.
"If you are working on a project, ask yourself what went well, what didn'tgo well, and what happened. It's OK to make mistakes, but not the samemistake twice."
Assess Your Performance Against the Job Specifications
"There is no way you can assess yourself in a vacuum," says Robert Wilson."At some point, you have to assess what you think is good and bad about yourperformance with what the supervisor thinks is good and bad."
- If you have been given a job description, study it carefully and giveyourself a thorough and honest appraisal. How are you doing compared to whatyour job description says you should be doing?
If there is no job descriptionavailable, then write out your own specifications for the minimum standardsfor performing your job. Then, rate yourself on how well you have met thosestandards.
"It's very important to be both honest and thorough,"says Wilson. "This is for your eyes only, so be brutally honest."
- If there are different aspects to the job, break those tasks down intoa list and write down what you have done to complete each task. Once again,this is for you alone, so there's "no need to sugar-coat the deficiencies,"reminds Wilson.
"Write down the good things you have done, and also thethings that you have been able to cover up. Then write the things you haven'tdone at all and where your below-average performance is sticking out therefor all to see."
- Compare your self-assessment with any physical documents that confirmyour self-assessment.
Keep a File
It's important to keep copies of any documents that directly or indirectlygive some indication of your performance level.
This could be letters, memos, reports, proposals or e-mail printouts thatgive some clue as to your participation in departmental activity. Be sureto keep records of any occasions when you may have exceeded expectations orgone beyond the call of duty.
"Maybe you managed to help out when there was a crunch," says Wilson. "Keeprecords of it, because you may forget later on when it's time for yourperformance evaluation."
The record will be useful if you need to defend yourself against a negativereview from the boss, or for documentation when asking for promotions or raises.It is also useful for updating your resume or for collaborating accomplishmentsfor your next job.
"You should keep this file at home," adds Wilson. "That way, it won'tbe found on your day off and misinterpreted by people at work."
Find out the Supervisor's Expectations
- "Make every effort to find out what the job involves from the boss'spoint of view," says Sylvia Ho, a lawyer specializing in employee relations.Ho is the workplace coach for iVillage and the employee advisor for the Monster.comjob board.
"Often on the first day, the boss shows you the ropes and invitesyou to ask for a meeting if you have any questions later on. Take him or herup on that offer."
"Establish communication with the supervisor rightfrom the beginning," agrees Mahoney. "Ask if he or she is satisfied with yourwork and if there are suggestions as to how you can improve."
- Try to discover any additional expectations that the supervisor may have,then meet or exceed those expectations. Look around you, talk and gather information.
Forinstance, if you are a cashier, there are some expectations that go alongwith the job, such as showing up on time and being accurate.
There may be other specifics that the supervisor appreciates. Try to findout what they are. For instance, "If you are a cashier, there may be someoneto bag the groceries. You might help with the bagging. This would be exceedingexpectations," adds Ho.
Get Feedback From Others
The experts agree that getting feedback from other sources is very importantto your self-evaluation.
- "Ask some friends you trust if they agree with your evaluation. Or approachsomeone in your organization that is obviously doing a good job and is wellrespected -- perhaps someone from a different department.
"Tell them youare not fishing for compliments, but you are looking for an honest appraisal,"says Wilson.
"It's important not to depend on just one opinion,though. You need at least two, and if they are very different, you will needthree."
- When you identify deficiencies, develop a strategy for eliminating theweakness. "If you have already done this, you will be way ahead of the game,"adds Wilson.
In your records, write down what you have done to improve theseareas and what the results of your efforts have been. During your formal performanceevaluation, you will be able to show the supervisor what you have done.
"Yoursupervisor will be very pleased that you have gone this far on your own. Heor she will be trained to help you work out a way to improve still further,"says Wilson.
- "Find a mentor," suggests Mahoney. Mentors are supervisors or colleagues,usually in a senior position to you, who offer guidance, feedback and advicefrom time to time. Look around your organization and find people you admire.Talk to them and see if they are willing to give you some guidance.
Be a Team Player
"Be a team player and not an independent merchant," says Ho. "You needto understand the dynamics of the group. If you are not a team player, youwill get thrown out of the loop."
Newcomers to a workplace are not automatically accepted into the group."The group has to rediscover how to work together," says Wilson. Every workplacehas "unwritten rules" -- the expectations that don't appear anywherein writing, but which people must abide by in order to be accepted as oneof the team.
"Joining the team depends on fragile interplay, communication, ability,the hierarchy of who reports to whom and the egos of the people involved atevery level.
"In some groups, you will find measures of fear, envy, jealousy, disrespect,and you will have to deal with those things as well," says Wilson.
"Really watch and observe how things are done," says Mahoney. Network,research, and talk to people. "And in the first few weeks on the job, it isa good idea to do more observing than talking."
"And be really careful about dating someone from work," offers Waters."It is especially unwise to date someone that you supervise or who supervisesyou. A lot of people don't understand this and they get into seriousdifficulties."
Plan Ahead
Think ahead to where you want to go in the organization or in your career.Look for ways to increase your responsibilities. "If you are not busy, takethe initiative and figure out how to get some new skills. Look for peoplewho are busy and ask if you can help on their project," advises Mahoney.
Have a development plan for yourself and let your supervisor know yourinterests.
For example, if you are doing well in your present job but you are interestedin learning public speaking, you might ask your supervisor if they would giveyou some added responsibilities where you will have an opportunity to practicespeaking in public.
