As we are more than halfway into the year, this is the ideal time to reflect on the targets you have achieved so far, as well as to identify the ones you have missed out, by self administering a mid-year career review.
Follow these steps to ensure that your mid-year review is effective:
1. Evaluate your goals. Make a list of itemised goals you had set for yourself at the beginning of the year; this will help you determine whether or not you are on the right track as far as meeting you annual targets is concerned. Then, identify and list the reasons you believe are preventing you from achieving them. These reasons can range from a lack of requisite resources (financial, human and/or time), lack of a focus (account for the time and energy spent in dealing with any additional responsibilities that may have been assigned to you) or having set targets that were too ambitious to begin with. Once done, revise your year-end goals.
2. Devise an action plan. Devise a step-by-step action plan that outlines how you will accomplish your year-end goals. For better effectiveness, make sure your goals meet the SMART criteria – i.e. Tha are specific, measurable , attainable, realistic and time-bound. Your action plan should include specific issues that you may want to highlight to your line manager and which need to be resolved in order to meet your year-end targets.
3. Stay committed. No matter how comprehensive your action plan is , it will only be effective if you remain committed to it and array not sidetracked by daily distractions at work or your operational responsibilities. Expecting your employer or supervisor to formulate a plan for you is not the answer; if you don’t take charge of your career, no one else will.
By Arishia Wasif Ahmed. The writer is a corporate trainer.