FEMI TAIWO: It’s Time for a Mid-Year Review
STRATEGY WITH FEMI TAIWO ON MONDAY
Michael is a first class chemical engineering graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, and a PhD holder in same discipline from the University of Arkansas, United States.
In the corporate world mid-year reviews are popular. I had one last week with my boss. At the start of the year, we agreed on what I would be held accountable for, what goals I am expected to achieve and what behaviors I should demonstrate on my way to accomplishing the set targets.
A review offers the chance to take stock, to evaluate how much of my promise I have kept, to identify areas I have surpassed expectations and areas where a course correction is needed. It is also a time to look at the goals again and ask if they are worth pursuing anymore or if they should be removed as a to-do-this-year. A good review is frank and objective; doling out praise and/or criticism as appropriate. The best reviews are ones where whatever the boss says (or didn’t say) is not a surprise because you have been requesting feedback constantly all year long.
This corporate practice should be a personal discipline. We are approaching the midway point through the year so it’s time for a personal mid-year review. This is the time to visit those goals you set at the start of the year and ask how far. It is best if you go through this exercise with an accountability partner. If you don’t have one, get one! Or, at least, look at your performance as objectively as you can and determine if you are half way through your yearlong goals.
You cannot manage what you don’t measure and the way to get better is to measure what you have done so far. You are a business owner. The business you own is you, your life. Manage it well. Half the year is gone! By now, you should have a realistic feel of what is going on with you and what you can do before the whole year is over. Life is measured in years, and we will live only so many years. It is terrible to waste anyone of them.
Have a no-excuse attitude when reviewing your progress against your goals. Excuses are tools of the incompetent. And the more you make them, the better you become at making them. They soon taste so good, you can’t stop cooking more! Giving yourself excuses of why you haven’t done this or accomplish that may make you feel good in the moment but they never move you forward. You are still where you were before the excuses.
I am aware that some readers don’t have any written goals. Some don’t even have any goals at all. This is a good time to start. Because you have no written goals, there is nothing to measure yourself against. Writing down your goals is one of the surest ways to commit yourself to doing them.
My review with my boss went well. He was impressed with what I have done so far and provided me with an extra resource so I can deliver more before the year runs out. I have conducted my own personal mid-year review and I am not very impressed. I have, however, identified specific things I need to do so that I can fulfill the promises I made to myself at the start of the year.
Self criticism; always the best. Thanks for this, Dr Michael.