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End-of-year performance reviews are the perfect time to reflect and set goals for the new year goal. It is a time to recognize where you made an impact, where you can improve and what you want to accomplish in the future.
Committing to sitting down and reflecting on your performance can often be a daunting task. With EOY sales goals to hit and customers to track down, it is easy to deprioritize reflection time and “get to it later.” Our advice: don’t! You will be better set up for success if you reflect, set goals, and act - even if it takes 45 minutes from your day.
Our panelists, Kathryn Tonkel (Fisher Investments), Meaghan Thatcher (GitLab) and Rachel Moser (WISE), shared strategies for effective performance reviews, the importance of spending time to reflect, and how to act on those reflections to further your career growth.
Advocate for your professional development.
If you're seeking support for learning and development resources or a budget from your manager, be sure to come to the conversation prepared. Set an agenda and a clear case for how this investment will impact your professional growth and the business. Your manager should help you identify what motivates you and areas of growth, but ultimately they can't read your mind! Do your research, build a case, then go after what you want.
Carve out time for reflection.
And don't skip over it. If you want to grow as a professional, you must dedicate time to deliberate reflection. Rather than simply writing New Years' resolutions on a sticky note, spend time reflecting on your year. Consider how you can improve your approach for the next. Tracking your projects and achievements in real-time will make EOY reflection much easier.
Clear is kind.
As a manager, the best thing you can do during a performance review is to provide clear and thoughtful feedback. While it can be easy to share positive feedback and sing the praises of your direct reports, it takes practice and preparation to provide constructive feedback. As a people leader, you owe it to your team to be clear; convoluted feedback does not spark change.
The last quarter of the year requires a lot of balance, but don’t write it off just because it is harder to get customers on the phone. Keeping a ‘closing mindset’ throughout the year can make a huge difference in hitting your goals. Alongside the EOY sales sprint, this quarter is a great time to plan. Reassess your achievements and goals and create a roadmap for the next year.
The end of the year can be taxing. Keeping a proper mindset, planning and taking action, can help ensure that your personal and professional goals hit the mark.
Want to learn more? You can stream the full event recording here.
Thank you to all of the WISE partners for making this event possible and our panelists for sharing their time and advice.
