Planning for Success
This post is especially for my readers out there who are in their first or second year of work. Not to say it won’t help others, but this post is a special hook up. I was talking to a young lady about how she was doing in her current position and she responded with “Ummm, I dunno. Ok I guess.” Now if you know me you know that “I don’t know” is never enough for me, because I feel like you always know. Now, instead of being my typical Type A self and going in, I simply asked her “well why don’t you ask your supervisor how she thinks you are doing?” And I kid you not,the look of horror that came over her face was nothing to be messed with. To say that I was confused by this look would be a major understatement.
In talking to her and some of her friends, I learned that there is a general fear of asking questions in the work place out of concern of appearing young, naive, or unprepared. I completely understand, but I am here to tell you there is no need to fear. Everyone has questions and asking for feedback helps you become better at what you do.
For people who have been in the work place for a little bit of time, you know that at some point during the year you are given a review. This is the time when you discuss your progress with your supervisor and what things you want to develop over time. This is also when you may discuss a raise or things you could improve upon. What I want to suggest is about half way through the year, set up some time with your supervisor to check in. Kind of like a progress report of how you have done since your review. You can also use this time to talk about areas of your job that you enjoy that you would like to do more of. You can also discuss any challenges you are facing in your position. Not only will your midyear review make sure that your annual review is favorable, it will also demonstrate that you are proactive and not “young” or “naive”. If nothing else, it will give you confidence in what you are accomplishing in the work place.
So take the leap and make sure your midyear check in is part of your plan for success!!!!
