Black Collegian Career Center

Please don’t be uptight. It is good that you now have a manager who is concerned about your development and is willing to formalize discussions with you about your work performance, both strengths and weaknesses, and how you can further develop in your current role to prepare for future advancement opportunities. Fortunately, he or she is giving you ample time for reflection and preparation. The new manager is also showing tremendous sensibility by letting you engage in self-appraisal to direct the discussion. This gives you a chance to honestly and effectively tell of your work contributions and where you could benefit from your manager’s coaching and assistance. That after all, is what a performance appraisal is designed to do.

To get started, I want you to review your job description and to identify your key assignments and make sure that your work is on track and that you can identify measurable results. Since your manager is new, look for opportunities to clarify his/her expectations over the next few months, so your work can stay on track. Follow up on any areas of concern and show improvements, if possible, before your performance review.

Next, create a file, if you don’t already have one, with all kinds of information about your work and your results. This file, which I call a "sunshine file" is where you should store positive evaluations, complimentary or thank you notes for things you have done at work, requests to be on special committees at work and in the community, examples of creative or innovative work you’ve done, newspaper clippings about you, etc. By keeping such a file, you are providing concrete examples of the positive work-related things you are doing and your contributions to the community.

Next, I want you to ask your manager for a copy of the appraisal form that will be used. Sometimes the manager may use the same form that the manager is reviewed on, which may have areas that are not applicable to your work. That’s why it’s good to see the form in advance. This will also allow you to identify all performance indicators and to make sure you are prepared to talk about each one that is relevant to your position.

If your manager does not provide you with an actual form, take a look at the one I’ve included below. Look at the various areas that you will be expected to candidly address. It is not unusual for employees to either be overly critical or blindly complimentary of themselves. You want to do neither, but to fairly assess your strengths and weaknesses.

The most important questions to ask yourself in completing your self- appraisal are: How does my work performance make a difference in terms of the overall productivity? How do I work with my colleagues? How effectively have I served our customers or clients? Do I know what is expected of me and what I have accomplished? Do I usually meet or exceed these expectations? And, if so, what are the next steps in my career progression?

You should be prepared to talk about ways in which you consistently contribute and try to have several concrete examples. So if you are known for giving excellent customer service, then have a couple of examples to demonstrate what you do and why that is so effective. If you have contributed to some improvements in the workplace, be sure to bring examples. If you created a new brochure or web page or offered a service that advanced the scope of your services, be prepared to talk about it. Remember, this is not bragging or taking credit for something that someone else did, this is being willing to take credit for what you did. Be careful of the "halo effect" that is, appearing to be too good to be true. A candid self-appraisal looks a both strengths and areas for improvement.

You should also be prepared to talk about your developmental needs. Perhaps you need more computer training or to develop skills in supervision or to work effectively in a team environment. If so, be willing to share this with your manager and to inquire what kind of support is available or that the manager can provide to ensure your growth in this area. You want to be sure your manager is aware of your desire to grow and develop and of your confidence in his/her ability to assist you. Also point out initiatives you have already taken to address these developing areas. This is always encouraging to a new manager and can turn a potential negative discussion into a positive one.

Finally, I want you to rehearse your self-appraisal with another professional that you know and can confide in. This will allow you to test out your ability to talk concretely about your performance and to get some additional feedback before you meet with your manager. Remember advice is only valuable if it is useful to you, so weigh any feedback accordingly.

You have months to prepare and now you have the road map for potential success with your first self-appraisal. Do well!

Performance Review/Indirect
(no direct reports)

Name: ___________________________________________________

Position __________________________________________________

Rating Scale:

Outstanding  = 4
Above Average = 3
Average = 2
Below Average = 1
Unsatisfactory = 0

Rating

______ 1.  Job knowledge (as pertains to your primary job function). Indicate areas that may be strengthened.

______ 2.  Initiative (makes or proposes improvements frequently to improve operations).

______ 3. Planning and organizing of work and subordinates so efforts are properly directed.

______ 4. Follow up (performs tasks assigned or discussed without being reminded).

______ 5. Quality of work (produces high quality work; plans rather than reacts).

Note major accomplishments.

______ 6. Communicating (initiates frequent two-way discussions with co-workers to assure good working relationships).

______ 7. Is a team player (looks out for overall good, even if his/her area may suffer as a result)

______ 8. Progress toward goals.

List major accomplishments.

List major areas that could be handled better in the future.

Overall Rating _________

Reviewed by: _________________________Date____________

Career planning comments:

Kathy Simmons is a Director of Claims and Administration in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a frequent contributor of career-related articles to a number of publications.