grow | Journey

Most companies have annual reviews with employees to help track progress and evaluate their performance. But, it can feel overwhelming to look back and remember all your accomplishments and struggles. After all, a lot can happen in 12 months. Right now, mid-way through the year, is the perfect time to do a little prep work for your future annual review.

Read Previous Reviews
The first place to start is with your previous review. Scanning any notes you took or documents your supervisor provided at your last annual review will help you recall specific goals or expectations that you set for the year. It may also help to review several of your past reviews so you have a good picture of your long-term growth.

Start Your List
Compile a complete list of your recent accomplishments and completed projects. Include information to help measure the success of your work. Also, jot down any accolades or training you’ve received so far. All of this will help you and your supervisor have an accurate picture of your performance this year.

Meet With Your Manager
If you don’t already meet regularly, explain to your supervisor that you’re doing a mid-year check-up and would like to meet with them within the next few weeks. During the meeting, ask for their feedback on your performance and accomplishments over the last six months. To avoid waiting until it’s too late, also ask if you need to change anything moving forward in the second half of the year to meet your annual goals.

Make a Plan
Once you have a good idea of what you’ve done and what you need to change, make a plan for the next six months. Write out any specific actions that you or your manager noted you need to take. If there are still training or performance goals that you haven’t met yet, outline how you’re going to accomplish them before your annual review.

Just because your employer doesn’t require or instigate a mid-year review doesn’t mean you should skip it. Spending a little time and effort this summer could make all the difference in how your review turns out at year’s-end. Plus, it can turn a dreaded experience into a positive one.

Does your employer conduct a mid-year review, or do you do one on your own? Have you found it to be helpful? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

We’ve been there before. You’ve hit that entry-level slump where time seems to slow down and boredom is on the rise. Maybe job duties become repetitive or insignificant, and you start playing the game of counting down until the end of the work day.

Starting at the bottom and working your way to the top can seem very dull and boring at first. At some points, your workspace may look more like a prison. You start thinking of things you’d rather be doing and consider treating your boss like the office governor and begging for a pardon. It doesn’t have to be that way. Working at your job doesn’t have to be a constant battle with your clock.

The truth is you can actually enjoy yourself while at work. Keeping a positive attitude will not only help you be more productive, but it can also reflect favorably on your managers when they see you inject some life into the workplace. Here are some ways you can add some pizzazz to your workday.

Trim Your To-Do List
Take a look at your to-do list. Do you really have to accomplish all of it in one day? Odds are, you’ve already scheduled too many things into your workday. This can really bring down your fun, because deep down, you know you probably won’t get to everything on the list. Go ahead, shave off a few of the items and give yourself some extra padding on your other projects.

Cutting back on your daily project list won’t make you less productive, but will give you the time to make your projects your own. Take the extra time to look at your tasks differently and try to innovate. Some of the best ideas can come out of the strangest places when you brainstorm and think outside of the box. You’ll end up having fun and can show your managers that you’re leadership material with your new ideas.

Look Forward to Something
As soon as you clock in for work, you might long for the warmth of your bed or the welcoming arms of your recliner. One of the biggest reasons workers dread getting up in the morning is that they don’t plan any fun activities for themselves throughout the day. You should utilize breaks, if you aren’t already, to inject fun. You may think that you don’t have time, but your productivity will improve in the long run. Having little things to look forward to during the day greatly speeds up the day and lightens the mood. Try spicing up your shift with breaks that include activities you really enjoy outside of your work area. Catch up on your favorite TV show or book, take a walk outside, work on an art project, put together a jigsaw puzzle, or anything else that makes you look forward to the next break.

You don’t even have to take breaks alone. Find some co-workers who share your interests and invite them to take a 15 minute break to play a short game, discuss events from last night’s TV show, share photography, or any other activities you share. You’ll have fun as the day goes on, and you’ll also be able to grow and foster working relationships and friendship with co-workers, which can help your teambuilding skills.

Bribe Your Co-Workers
One of the best ways to beat the boredom at work is to involve others in the fun. While some may enjoy seclusion, eventually it will get to you. Odds are, there are several other co-workers looking for fun and excitement in the workplace too. Don’t be the one hoping fun comes to you, be the one who creates the fun. Email your co-workers asking for a joke and offer the one who submits the funniest joke a cup of coffee, or surprise co-workers with breakfast like bagels or fruit trays. If food isn’t your specialty, try making a CD of your favorite music to give to your co-workers or craft a special gift tailored to each co-worker. Have fun with your ideas and use your imagination, but always check with your manager before using any of your ideas or the ones listed in this blog.

You can also have fun by changing your workload with other workers or departments. Get with your boss and ask to help out another department with a project. You’ll get to meet people you might not be familiar with, your work will be a little different, and you’ll grow your skills set to be a more rounded employee.

The daily grind doesn’t have to be full of doom and gloom. A few simple things can help turn your attitude and performance around. While “entry-level” sounds Latin for “enter boredom,” it references a place to help get you where you’d like to go. In order to get there, you should have a little fun along the way. What have you tried to put a little spice in your daily work routine?

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