For many returning to work after the Christmas break, now is the time to have a plan for how to get ourselves New Year-ready; part of that process is ensuring we have the right mindset for the coming 12 months.
The post-pandemic period has hugely heightened humanity’s long-held desire to move from the old leadership – that unwritten, psychological contract of managers focusing more on where they believe their team members need to improve, rather than on helping to inspire, build confidence and supporting team members to leverage their strengths. This is where real creativity and peak performance are born; we could call it new leadership.
We can’t expect all leaders to make the change to new leadership as swiftly and skilfully as we might want, so what can we do to help accelerate the process when it comes to the often-dreaded annual appraisal?
What motivates your boss?
It’s about playing the long game. Think for a moment: what does your boss want to get from this meeting? Prior to your appraisal, why not ask them what a good session would look like from their perspective? What inputs would they like from you (and others?) and what would add the most value to them?
Be realistic
It’s highly likely that your boss will have already decided upon your appraisal rating. That means it’s unlikely that you can influence last year’s outcome. What you can do, is to focus your efforts on this 12-month period. One of the most powerful ways to set ourselves up for success is to align our endeavours, where possible, with our boss’s agenda for the coming year. The starting point might include:
- asking how can you be of most value in 2024?
- stating clearly and compellingly that you want to have your best ever year, so what would you need to do from their perspective to achieve that?
- having ideas and suggestions of where you believe you can add further value in 2024; being creative in how you can go the extra mile
- ensuring that you and your boss are completely aligned on expectations for the year ahead, so that you give yourself the very best chance of having the successful year you desire.
To help you think from your boss’s perspective, and to prepare well for such a key meeting, ask yourself questions such as:
- what would I want from my team members at their appraisal meeting?
- how would I want them to approach their appraisal with me?
- in what frame of mind and with what preparation would I like my team member to conduct the meeting?
Tracking progress
A year can be a long time when it comes to assessing performance. What was agreed at the outset, can often become misty over time, or change completely if there are unexpected headwinds during the year; who could have foreseen the pandemic in 2020, for example?
Ensure that during regular 1:1s, or more formal quarterly or half-yearly reviews, you plan well for these sessions, sharing relevant metrics and data, including feedback from key stakeholders with your boss. Ask how you’re performing against the agreed goals – does s/he believe that you are still on track? If so, ask how you can be of even greater value. If not, seek clarity on what further steps you need to get back on track. Demonstrate your flexibility, as the needs and priorities of the organisation change during the year.
Control the controllables
Whilst you can’t control the outcome, what you can control are the inputs – that is, your actions. When it comes to performance appraisals, a key thing to remember is not to leave anything to chance; being proactive will go a long way in making 2024 your most successful year to date.