TICK, TOCK. As January 2017 has charged into February 2017 at a relentless speed, we must take a little time in the midst of the rapid pace to reflect on a year which was brutal in its personal and professional extraction, so that an accurate assessment of personal and professional achievements can be made. At the same time, systems that may effect major improvements with regard to accomplishing your objectives and goals can be put in place.
However, in order to realise the best results from this approach, one must be prepared to accept, become and implement the changes that are deeply desired.
Disclaimer: This approach is not for the easily deterred or distracted, or for the faint of heart or those who are afraid of failure as your performance portrait whether or not it is successful, is starkly clear to see and assess.
By utilising this approach, not only will you achieve your goals but you will be constantly motivated to improve your performance.
However, be forewarned that this prediction will only come to fruition, if you conquer the initial setbacks that populate the journey to success and continuous improvement.
So at this point, if you feel totally beaten, but are still looking to dust yourself off, rethink, regenerate while even going as far as reinventing your overall personal and professional approach before getting right back into the thick of things; then this approach/method maybe the best one to employ to cushion the blows while embarking on your ascension.
On a professional level, were you pleased with the direction you were going? What did you plan to accomplish, what did you actually accomplish and what system are you putting in place to achieve this goal and move beyond your initial accomplishment?
Essentially, you need an honest view of your performance to set the wheels in motion for transformation as it is never wise to rest on your laurels.
I have carried out such an assessment, not because I am bold or am a sucker for punishment, but because it is my sincerest desire to always improvement my life in a fundamental way.
Oftentimes, you focus only on advancing your career. However, it must be stated that your focus must not only be on professional accomplishments, but on the development of personal attributes such as honesty, integrity, dependability, innovativeness and commitment.
For each of these attributes, you must define what it means and chart how you have grown/improved across the months in 2016.
Essentially, your ratings may be as follows:
Excellent = 10
Very Good = 9 – 8
Good = 7 – 6
Fair = 6 – 5
Improvement Needed = 4 – 0
If your assessment is not as healthy as you would have liked, you are strongly encouraged not to waste any time but continue to try to improve your personality with as much zest as you invest in your quest for professional development.
Let us now move on to emotional intelligence. That is the ability to understand and recognise your own emotions and those of others and use this information to guide your thinking and behaviour, allowing you to exercise control over your own emotions and develop your ability to contribute toward the management of the emotions of others.
Remember, even though you may be technically sound or moving toward becoming technically sound, it is the display of such attributes and emotional intelligence that significantly contributes to your professional advancement and ability to effectively lead persons from all walks of life.
I strongly encourage you not to just measure your performance, but focus on the actively improving yourself personally and professionally. In essence, you must add the qualitative explanations that your quantitative results indicate in order to move forward swiftly and meaningfully. Let us not waste time. 2017 is the year for real improvement, so let’s get moving on our objectives and goals today!
Geri-Ann Austin is an experienced human resources and employee relations professional. Email: developmentalga@gmail.com