Approaching Appraisals

This article was published in our office mag portal 'GLIMPSES' authored by me!

Approaching Appraisals



It is appraisal time and you are on tenterhooks as how to impress your boss and get a significant hike in your paycheck. Another scenario is of having a bad appraisal last time and you want to avert the damage before the company completely writes you off.

Considering that most performance appraisals are conducted once or twice a year, how you can use the evaluation period as a chance to demonstrate your role in the organization? In anticipation of your next appraisal, what should you do in order to obtain a good review? Well guys, you have to think out of the box in the first step, the following steps will help you:

Step1: Defining your important accomplishments -

Scratch from the surface and dig deep into your specific accomplishments during this appraisal period?
Try to know the critical abilities that your job requires? Ask yourself to what extent do you fulfill them?
Ask yourself about teamwork. What value you have added to your department or team?
See what went bad in the last appraisal, why it went bad, what is
lacking, and what are the blocks (if any).

Step2: Defining your personal growth -

Try to find out what have you done from the period of your last to prepare yourself for more responsibility?
Don't just stick to what you are supposed to do. Acquire new skills that can add value to your work
What new skills you have worked on and have helped others to gain?
See your future perspective as what you want to do five years from now? How are you preparing yourself for it?
Identify your weak areas and work on them.
Identify your strengths and make them stronger.
Make sure that you do not repeat your mistakes.

Step 3: Defining obstacles you encountered –

Ask yourself is there anything that you do that hinders your effectiveness?
What knowledge, skills, or abilities you lack to perform your job?
Does your present job make the best use of your capabilities?
Do you need more experience or training in any aspect of your current job?
Is there anything that the organization or your supervisor does that hinders your effectiveness?
How could your supervisor help you to do a better job?

Step 4: Describing areas that need attention and plans for improvement -

Which goals or standards you lack and could not achieve?
How could you become more productive and helpful?
How can more experience or training be accomplished?
What changes can you make to improve your performance or to prepare for more responsibility?
Share any new knowledge gained with your peers
Go an extra mile and think of ways in which you can benefit your
Team/organization through your work.

The above points are tips to work towards a better appraisal. It cannot be the yardstick to measure an employee’s performance though but nonetheless can help prepare and face the tough time of appraisals. Hoping each one will get an expected hike, I sign off! Good Luck!!