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You’ve worked hard all year round, and now that appraisals are around the corner, you are pretty sure you are bagging that gold star for efficiency. Actually, your boss thinks you are a slacker who is not pulling his/her weight. And you will not know till three months later when that indifferent appraisal lands at your table. This then may be the time to do some quick course correction, say industry experts.
Keep a journal
In corporate jargon it is called the SCLP approach (Success, Challenges, Learnings, Progress) but put simply, it’s just effective self–assessment. At Cummins, for instance, the aim is to keep reviews as objective as possible. Goals are set at the start of the year and performance is reviewed against these twice a year through an online system. The system also requires feedback from key people whom the employee engages with, and not just the boss.
“This approach also provides a holistic view on the employee’s performance,” says Vikas Thapa, VP-HR, Cummins Group in India. If you don’t have a system like this in place make sure to keep a journal that will back up your claims of success. But make sure that you don’t confuse routine tasks with “meaningful accomplishments”, says Prabir Jha, global chief people officer, Cipla. It’s one thing to say, “I had a great year,” and another to say, “sales are up 30%”.
Review before the review
S Ramesh Shankar, executive VP-HR, Siemens, suggests that employees collate data on the “what” and “how” of their targets and seek the manager’s inputs to identify areas of strength and improvement and focus on these for the next two months. This will also give you a clear idea of the manager’s expectations and how you can be of greater value.
Don’t forget your failures
Jha also suggests some sincere self-criticism. “It is useful to be ready with a set of things that did not go well enough and follow this up with plans and learnings,” says Jha. According to Dedeepya A John, senior knowledge advisor of SHRM India, an employee who focusses merely on successes gives the manager the impression that he/she doesn’t require any support from the management. Instead build your credibility by honestly airing your areas for improvement and asking for help where necessary.
Think ahead
Self-assessment is not restricted to the present, it is also about taking a long look ahead at one’s career and framing plans for the future. So make a career wishlist and discuss it with your boss. Make that appraisal conversation count.
