EmployeeDevelopment

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ConductingASelfEvaluation

Aselfevaluationisagreatopportunityforemployeestohonestlyandobjectivelyconsiderand
documenttheirperformance.Havingsaidthat,employeesmustalsoknowhowtocompleteaself
evaluationandbecomfortablewiththeprocess.Properlyconductingaselfevaluationcanmakethe
differencebetweenameaningfulevaluationandonethatislesseffective.Thisbrieftipsheetismeant
toenableyoutoconductbetterselfevaluations.
WhatIsASelfEvaluation?
Aselfevaluationisyourthoughtfulandconsideredwrittenreviewofyourperformanceduringthe
evaluationcycle.Itinvolvesratingestablishedgoals,competencies,andoverallperformance.
WhatAreTheBenefitsofaSelfEvaluation?
Whenyouselfassess,youbecomeanactiveparticipantinyourownevaluation.Yourinvolvement
enablesyoutohonestlyassessyourstrengthsandalsoareasyouneedtoimprove.Youthencan
participatemoreconstructivelyintheevaluationmeetingwithyoursupervisor.Selfevaluationalso
servestoincreasecommitmenttogoalsetting/achievement,competencydevelopment,andcareer
planning.
WhatDoYouNeedToDoInOrdertoCompleteYourSelfEvaluation?
Time.Allowaboutanhourtocompletetheselfevaluation.Thathourincludestimeyoumayneedto
reviewdocumentationthatyouvekeptthroughouttheyearrelatingtoyourgoalsandcompetencies.
Quiet.Conducttheselfevaluationinaquietplacewithoutinterruptionssoyoucandevoteyourfull
attentionandreflectiontotheprocess.
Relax.Trytorelaxandreflectuponindividualgoals,experiences,andincidents.Nooneisperfect,and
itisverylikelythatyouwillrecallbothgoodandbadexperiences.Thepurposeoftheevaluation
processistohighlightstrengths,correctperformanceweaknesses,anddevelopunusedskillsand
abilities.Inordertodothis,youmustbewillingtorecognizeareasthatneedimprovementor
development.
Highlightthehighlights.Don'tbeshyaboutlettingyoursupervisorknowwhereyoushoneduringthe
year.Theselfevaluationistheplacetoboastwithgraceanddiplomacyand,naturally,withoutputting
anyofyourcolleaguesdown.Don'tbemodest;stateyouraccomplishmentsobjectivelyandaccurately.
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Don'tforgetaboutachievementsmadeearlyonintheevaluationperiod.Yoursupervisorcannot
possiblyrememberallofyourprojectsandyourparticipationthroughouttheyear.Gobackover
documentsandemailstohelpyourememberyourearlieraccomplishments.
Don'tbestuffy.Oneofthebenefitsofaselfevaluationisitstendencytoleadtoconstructivedialogue
betweenyouandyoursupervisor.Therefore,trytowriteinaconversationalstyle,onethatisasnatural
astheverbalbackandforththatoccursthroughouttheyear.
Solicitfeedbackfromcoworkers.Consideraskingyourcolleagueswhattheythinkofyourperformance.
Becareful,ofcourse,toavoidplatitudes,overlycriticalcomments,andanyotherremarksthatcould
takeawayratherthanenhanceyourselfevaluation.
Beobjective.It'sawfullytemptingtogiveyourselfhighmarksacrosstheboard,butit'salittleunlikely
thatyou'vedoneeverythingright.Insteadofevaluatingyourselfbasedonhowyouwishedyoud
performed,offertheresultsandquantifythemasmuchaspossiblebyusingfacts,figures,andspecific
dates.ThemoreyoucanpointtothetangiblebenefitsyouoffertheUniversity,themoreinvaluableyou
willbe.Askyourselfsomespecificquestions:WhatdifferencedidmyeffortsmaketoU.Va.?WhatdidI
dotocontributetomyschool/unitsgoalsandsuccess?DidmyeffortsfurthertheUniversitysmission?
DidItakealeadershiprolewhentheopportunityarose?
Don'tusetheselfreviewasabargainingchip.Thisisthetimetoshownottell.So,it'snotthetimeto
talkaboutyourcompensation.Beclearaboutyouraccomplishmentsandsavesalarydiscussionsfor
later.
Useappropriatelanguage.Choosewordsthatdemonstratesomeobjectivityanddistance.Yes,you're
writingaboutyourself,butyoucanstillstandbackandofferalittleperspective.Forexample,insteadof
mentioningyoursparklingpersonality,documentspecificbehaviorslikeyourabilitytogetalongwell
withothers.Ratherthansayhowmuchyoulikeyourjob,includethewaysthatyouhavegrownand
improvedduringtheevaluationperiod.
Suggestspecificimprovements.Theselfevaluationisagoodopportunitytoidentifyspecificwaysto
improveyourperformance.Don'tbeafraidtomentionwaysthatyoucandoyourjobmoreeffectively.
Makingsuggestionslikethisisnotthesameasholdingsomethingupasaweakness.Indeed,itisamark
ofstrengthandprofessionalmaturityforemployeestoidentifywaystogrowandimprove.
CompletetheLearningandCareerDevelopmentActionPlan.Choose,complete,andapplyknowledge
yougainfromdevelopmentactivitiestosupportyourperformancegoals,yourcompetency
developmentandyourcareerdirection.
Writemorethanonedraft.Theselfevaluationispartofyouremploymentrecordsoyoullwanttoget
itright.Makecertainyouarethoroughandprofessionalinyourapproachandlanguage.And,that
youwrite,review,andreviseyourselfevaluationtoensureyouSendForwardyourbestwork.