9 Steps to professional effectiveness and a fabulous appraisal

1 Define Clear Goals and Measurable Objectives

Goals are abstract in nature and are defined in terms of ‘the state of being’.  Objectives are the measurable steps you take to achieve the goal.   

Example:  ‘To learn French’ is a goal. To clear the French ‘A’ level exam is an objective. 

Identify the KPI’s for each objective. Define targets for each KPI.

Example:   Percentile Score is a KPI for the French exam objective and the target is 90 percentile

2. Keep objectives relevant to work context

It is important that your goals and objectives are aligned with your team’s / group’s / organization’s objective.  Discuss your goals and objectives and discuss with your manager.

Both of you need to agree on the goals, objectives, KPI’s and targets that you set for yourself.

3. Create an ‘Accomplishment Log’

This is a critical, though often overlooked, aspect. We need to log our deliverables, achievements and contributions to the organization.  It will be too cumbersome to re-collect or browse through the mail to arrive at all accomplishments. This must be done every Friday.  

At the end of the week, you should feel good about yourself.  If you don’t, then you know that you are expecting more from yourself!

4. Structure your work / tasks

Take time to understand your assignment.  Understand the expected deliverable and the expected quality of deliverable. Break your assignment into ‘daily deliverables’! (Not necessarily for your manager, but for yourself).  Knowing what you need to accomplish every day @ work will bring incredible focus and efficiency.  It will help develop an understanding of your productivity. It will bring a self-realization on the areas of improvement.  Over the longer term you’ll develop near accurate estimates of work execution.  At the end of the day you’ll leave with a sense of accomplishment. 

5.  Prioritize

More often than not, there would be multiple tasks demanding your attention at any given time.  Prioritize or be doomed! 

6.  Take it to closure

Never leave loose-ends of any assigned tasks.  Always know your prioritized list of activities. Don’t wait for management follow-up!  Take ownership and ensure completion!  Even if it means connecting with people, seeking help or whatever else. Incomplete or abandoned items have the uncanny habit of appearing at all the wrong times! 

7.  Results are important, Efforts are not

Simply putting a lot of effort with no tangible outcomes is pointless.  Efforts without results can’t be recognized.  Therefore it is important to understand the desired outcome and construct an approach towards it. 

8.  Stop blaming management / others

Take responsibility of your professional success or failure.  One can only change what’s under one’s control.  Bosses can be difficult, work environment can depressing, colleagues may be pretentious and there could be hundred other things.  Be aware, but give your best. Ensure that your colleagues and management are aware of the outcomes you affected.  Quoting ShahRukh Khan from one of his interviews: “Early to bed and early to rise”, “Work your ass off and advertize!”  

9.  If nothing else works, find a new manager/employer OR employ yourself!

If you are so diligent, hard-working and capable of executing all the above steps, this should be easy!

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