Crush Your Year-End Review

You have, let’s face it, two good weeks in December to hit your remaining OKRs before everyone checks out. Your personal life ramps up with obligations you are never truly prepared for. Like trying to figure out where you stashed that ugly sweater, you seem to need every damn year...ugh, wish me luck on that one! And if you are anything like me, you’re already thinking about what you will start in January. Year-end reviews couldn’t be any less convenient.

So you put the self-advocating and review prep to the bottom of the list. According to Gallup, 71% of employees who believe that their boss can identify their abilities are more engaged and enthusiastic at work. Engaging at work will benefit your satisfaction, so let’s use this review for you and your manager to get acquainted with your work, skills, and future aspirations.

Prep what you have accomplished

Pull together the most impactful items you accomplished since your last review. Start with a list of everything you have done. Then flush out each one; What problem was this initiative trying to solve? What were the key results? Where did you see opportunities for growth in the project or yourself?

Pull out the most impactful to your team and organization. The ones with a significant problem to solve and the key result made the most significant change.

Ask for feedback

Always include a space for feedback. Some managers are comfortable giving feedback as you are going, and others want to wait until you are done. Include a spot to address feedback with your manager that you may not have considered when doing your opportunities in each OKR.

Listen

Feedback is the most crucial part of advancing your career. A good manager will tell you how to get ahead in your organization. A GREAT manager will encourage you to make steps for even longer-term career growth.

What skills did they mention you are lacking? Where could you have handled a situation better? Write these down! You’ll want to use these later.

Present your future goals

How far ahead are you looking? Your next review cycle will determine the number of strengths you set out to accomplish. Make them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely). Don’t set out to get a Master’s degree in 3 months… that’s probably not realistic. What can you chip away at in your spare time?

Lots of places have inexpensive or free boot camps and courses. Udemy, LinkedIn, and Google, to name a few; pick a handful of classes to take between review cycles that align with where you want your career to go. Also, after the meeting, look for some that address the feedback you received from your manager.

Don’t let the demands of the season leave you showing up unprepared for your Year-End review. Always take the opportunity to advocate and plan for growth in your career.

**BONUS: FREE YEAR-END REVIEW TEMPLATE**

Steps if you have Microsoft PowerPoint

1. File

2. Download

3. Microsoft PowerPoint(.pptx)

Steps if you have Google Drive

1. File

2. Make a copy

3. Entire Presentation

4. Make a copy (will save in your My Drive)