So how’s your performance been this year? Or more importantly, how does your boss think your performance has been this year?
When it comes to year-end performance reviews, we all want to be recognized and celebrated for our achievements. But we don’t want to have to brag about ourselves. How can you capture the attention you deserve without tooting your own horn?
Modern Mentor is hosted by Rachel Cooke. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
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Hey, it’s Rachel Cooke, your Modern Mentor. I’m the founder of Lead Above Noise—a firm specializing in retaining, engaging, and developing talent. And today, we are gonna talk about YOUR talent—and specifically why and how you’ve got to be talking up your amazingness—especially at this time of year.
We’re living in a fast-paced, 24-hour news cycle and we’re overwhelmed by headlines every day. So it never fails to amaze me how much time we collectively spend marveling over (1) the weather and (2) the passage of time. So let me be a cliche and say—I can’t believe we’re in the final quarter of 2022. But here we are, and we’re barrelling toward year-end.
Though different organizations operate on different fiscal calendars, in my experience most use January - December to track the performance cycle. As in… it’s likely your year-end performance review is on the not-so-distant horizon.
So how’s your performance been this year? Or more importantly, how does your boss think your performance has been this year? Because love it or hate it (and yeah, really, it’s OK to hate it)—more than your actual performance, it’s the company’s perception of your performance that really matters—that most influences your compensation, your potential for promotion, your nomination to lead that project—all the things.
You want to be recognized and appreciated for the great stuff you’ve done. But also, you don’t want to be a bragger. Because as one of my kids likes to say, “no one wants to sit with a bragger at lunch.” It’s about striking a balance. And here are some tips for getting recognized when it counts the most.
I’ve talked to so many people this year who’ve left—or are considering leaving—jobs due to not feeling appreciated or seen for the hard work they’ve done.
Feeling invisible or taken for granted at work is kind of miserable.
But let’s be honest. We are all crazy busy these days—and that includes your boss. And the truth is when we’re busy, (but also maybe always?) we tend to notice the things that are on fire—that demand our attention.
If your work has been going well, it probably just hasn’t hit your boss’s radar. Sure, they should know what you’ve been working on and what you’ve achieved. But often they just don’t.
This is where you come in. Creating awareness around what you’ve done this year and why it matters is a critical part of your job. It’s not bragging unless it’s only intended to make someone else feel insecure or less than.
So rather than letting yourself feel unappreciated, start by seeing yourself as an educator of sorts. You are not tooting your own horn. You’re teaching your boss about the value you and your role are delivering to the organization. Feeling appreciated begins with you.
Now it’s time for you to sing your praises. So what do you highlight and how do you ensure someone still wants to sit with you at lunch?
The secret is this: even though this is all about you, your job is to make it not at all about you. What you need to ask yourself is not just “what did I do this year?” but “what did I do this year that will matter to my leader?”
So think about what’s on your boss’s plate—what have they been working on, what is their top priority, what challenges are they striving to overcome? And what have you done that contributed directly to something that’s popping for you?
So think not just about what you did—redesigned a merchandising plan, spoke at that conference, successfully tested a new client engagement strategy—but how what you did supports your boss and your team’s priorities.
Focus on how that merchandising strategy made your most profitable products more visible to customers; how your talk at that conference attracted a new talent who filled an open role on your team. You don’t need to downplay your role—you just need to “up”-play why and how your work moved the whole team forward. That’s how you fully capture your boss’s attention.
Companies want to reward and retain their performers. But they’re also on the hunt for their future leaders.
So as you describe your accomplishments, focus not on what you and you alone did in a dark room, but how you harnessed the wisdom, experience, and expertise of people around you. Whether or not you’re a people-leader by title, leveraging what others have to offer is really the epitome of leadership.
As you think about the great work you did, consider:
The more you can highlight your readiness for leadership, the more love your organization will show you come year-end.
The only thing organizations want more than future leaders is resilient future leaders! Because change is everything and uncertainty is here to stay, your ability to test, fail, learn and roll with the punches is kind of everything right now.
So as you reflect on the path you took to achieve that outcome, don’t gloss over the bumps and uglies. Highlight the spots where you tripped up or fell down or hit a wall—and then describe what you learned and how that insight fueled you forward.
Maybe your first 2 pitches to that conference organizer were rejected, but you reached out to the event planner, found out what content they really needed, and you delivered a final pitch they couldn't refuse.
Maybe you tested that client engagement strategy with a handful of very small clients and you analyzed their responses—good and bad—to your tweaks. And you used those findings to polish your ultimate approach which worked with some bigger clients.
Remember, companies want to know—and reward and celebrate—those who will fight their way to a win no matter what comes their way.
So now it’s time for you to reflect. What do you deserve to be celebrated for this year? And how can you craft a story that sets you up for that big win?
Join me next week for another great episode. Until then, visit my website at leadabovenoise.com if your organization is looking to dial up its Employee Experience.