A week ago, I made a post about annual self-assessments and their importance to career progression. The central point of my argument was that writing a thoughtful self-assessment is a great opportunity to showcase to your organisation the value you provide. This is especially crucial for the career progression of women and underrepresented groups that typically have less access to sponsors and power networks.
That is, it goes beyond framing the discussion with your manager, it’s about the opportunity to tell your story. I also mentioned in my post that I take writing my self-assessment very seriously and I’m keen on reminding my direct reports and mentees how important it is every year.
Both on LinkedIn and on women in tech communities I received quite a lot of pushback. I’ve rephrased some of the reasons people shared with me below
- The whole self-assessment/assessment process is a waste of time. At the organisation/department/team I work for it’s s a performative exercise.
- I don’t like doing my self-assessment because it makes me think about my mistakes.
- I feel uncomfortable praising my accomplishments.
- The important thing is to have an annual review discussion with my manager. not to write the self-assessment.
These comments made me examine why I thought writing an annual self-assessment would be worth it even if I worked for a manager that didn’t care about them.
Then the penny dropped.
A big part of why I find writing the self-assessment so valuable is because it forces me to reflect within a deadline. What do I get from it?
- It prompts me to acknowledge my wins.
- It reminds me of the lessons learned from failures.
- I remember how resourceful I am when things don't go as planned.
However, reflection is something that it's as hard as it's valuable. So, if you believe that your manager/organisation doesn’t care, then the friction is much higher to write a self-assessment.
And that prompted me to think: “What if this annual career assessment could be done with guidance and in a supportive environment?”
And that’s how I came up with The Joyful Annual Career Assessment Week
(1) A workbook to walk you through the steps to write your 2022 career review.
(2) A live pop-up Facebook group from Monday 9th to Friday 13th January where you can get feedback on your assessment and support.
(3) Access to three one-hour group coaching calls via Zoom.
Benefits others have gotten from working with me
- Have a clear picture of your professional accomplishments in 2022 as well as the skills and experiences gained.
- Ability to tell your career story in a compelling manner that it’s also true to yourself.
- Feel ready to have meaningful conversations about your career aspirations in 2023 and beyond.
Will you join us? Link in below
