ADVICE FOR EMPLOYEES

PROACTIVITY

• — the one person who has the most interest in the success of your job and your career is yourself. Your manager will not always have or take the time necessary to clarify your objectives and assure your career path. You must then be proactive to assure your professional success.

JOB DESCRIPTION

• — precede with short summary of what your Management expects from you in terms of results (express in strategic terms).
• — update after a significant change
• — check with manager

OBJECTIVES/KEY RESULT AREAS (KRAS)

• — align directly with your Company’s/business unit’s priorities
• — make Smart + AS (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results oriented, Time bound, Agreed, Strategic)
• — if not “measurable”, establish first who can/will validate your objective. And then establish when ? and according to what criteria ?
• — check with manager
• — use these KRAS to identify + focus on crucial tasks
• — objectives which are not SMART + AS + tasks that seem contradictory, challenge/accept subject to revision communicate + negotiate with managers.n.b. acquiring skills and competencies is a “means” to help us achieve our KRAS. These must necessarily be in the development sector.

YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• — get/keep regular feedback on performance from other stakeholders for whom you have worked. This to help your direct manager have an on - going record of your performance.
• — communicate immediately when objectives are not clear, competencies lacking, changes interfering with objectives. n.b.. avoid appearing a “low performer”.
• — evaluate/rate own performance 1-5 + add comments e.g..obstacles overcome or which stopped you reaching your goals.

YOUR DEVELOPMENT/TRAINING NEEDS

• — establish first what strengths/competencies you already have (to valorize yourself + help your manager accept + distribute tasks to his/her team).n.b. Ask for advice/feedback from your manager + people you work with on which competencies you need + how to acquire, for present job + career.
• — get/give your manager feedback on the effectiveness or otherwise of trainings you follow.

ADDITIONAL ADVICE FOR MANAGERS

• — Encourage Proactivity in the process -But make sure employees understand the Process + have the necessary skills to apply it. Help them formulate strategic SMART + AS objectives (KRAS) once they do.
• — Remember the power of genuine appreciation, regular feedback, contact, discussions
• — Develop/agree feedback systems
• — Know your people’s strengths/development needs, doubts/insecurities, potential/ambitions and yes, their dreams ! Accompany, challenge, involve them + get their agreement if you want them to exceed what they consider to be their limitations.
• — Be prepared to advise employees on competencies to develop and possible career paths.
• — Close the performance appraisal when an employee changes teams or when a team changes manager.
• — Supervise but don’t micromanage
• — Recognise that regular feedback is essential for people to correct performance, develop and be objectively assessed. By accumulating and using regular feedback the annual appraisal meeting no longer becomes a potential conflict situation but a logical, final yearly step in a fair and essential Process.

CONCLUSION

• — a once a year appraisal meeting risks being a stressful failure
• — for everyone to succeed , it must be part of an on-going process of regular communication, negotiation, collection of feedback and evaluation.