Re: Performance appraisals

["Susan W. Gallagher" <sgallagher -at- EXPERSOFT -dot- COM>]

Theresa Bui asked for advice on an upcoming performance review...

In most companies, you'd be asked for a self evaluation. If you
aren't asked to provide one, do it anyway. At the very least,
list your successes since the last review. You will certainly
remember all the ways you excelled better than your supervisor
would.

The next step is to identify your goals for the next review period.
No one knows how you want to grow better than you do. Include both
organizational goals (what you want to accomplish at work) and
professional goals (how you want to grow as a writer).

And, no, stating your professional goals is not being selfish --
at least, not in a bad way. Showing that you want to improve your
skills and grow in your profession will elevate you in your reviewer's
eyes, even if your reviewer is not a writer. Management types, in
general, understand the value of professional growth, define such
goals for themselves, and respect others who do the same.

Stating professional goals will also give you an edge the next time
a professional conference or particularly interesting seminar comes
along. After all, if attendance at the conference or seminar will
help you to meet a goal that was defined (and approved by management)
on your performance review, it's very difficult for management to
tell you that you can't go.

Sue Gallagher
sgallagher -at- expersoft -dot- com
     -- The _Guide_ is definitive.
        Reality is frequently inaccurate.