The Tribune

By MICHELLE MILLER

Regular performance appraisal is a method by which an employee’s job performance is documented and evaluated. Even though performance evaluation can be somewhat stressful, they offer a opportunity for employers to determine if you are performing adequately and it also gives you a chance to evaluate yourself.

It is the latter that is most often ignored. Ongoing self-evaluation is the only surefire way to assess your personal performance.

So often, many employees allow their personal performance to be shaped by the limits of their job descriptions. In other words, they perform just to get pass the evaluation, which is often motivated by promotions or increased benefits.

This approach often result in many individual’s personal performance being appraised as ‘ordinary’, ‘average’, or worse, ‘below average’. The fact is, you have the power within you to determine how you want to show up in the world. While the employer gives you an job function, you are responsible for the degree to which that job is executed with excellence.

To give excellence you have to be a person of excellence. This is a quality that you can develop as your own gold standard. In the beginning of my working years, not having a college education, I challenged myself to develop those qualities that would make me stand out as an outstanding employee. I knew that I didn’t want to just fit in. So I invested time and effort building a pleasant attitude, taking initiative, establishing good work ethics and assisting beyond my job description.

Over time, I found myself invited to be part of many successful teams and organisations, not because I was the most paper qualified, but because I was committed to improving my personal performance. I was fully responsible. While my employer was responsible for setting my job description, I alone was responsible for the quality of my work and my level of productivity. The same is true for you. Only you can determine how well you perform.

At a motivational seminar, the following question was asked about recently retired NBA player Kobe Bryant: If Kobe was fired from the Lakers, was it likely that he would easily get another job with another team? The answer was of course he would. The bigger question was, would Kobe Bryant get that job with another team simply because he ‘played’ for the Lakers or because ‘performed’ for the Lakers? Needless to say, Kobe Bryant’s personal performance was what set him apart from the rest. Who do you think was responsible for Kobe’s performance?

Similarly, there’s a difference between ‘working’ for a company and ‘performing’ for that company. You, and only you, are responsible your performance. You must ‘own it’. High-performance individuals recognise that their performance also hinges on having the right attitude. Attitude matters. You can have the qualifications to get the job but keeping the job depends on the right attitude. No matter your how prestigious your qualifications, nobody wants to work with you if you have an unpleasant attitude.

Leader to leader, recognise that you alone are responsible for improving your personal performance. Find ways to self-assess and build a winner’s attitude. From time to time take initiative, arrive early, stay late and find creative ways to be a team player. The ball is in your court. You can choose to improve your personal performance or you can stay stuck in the same ole same ole.

The aim of the game is total commitment to the process of becoming a better you. When you get better at your personal performance, you better position yourself to live an empowered life. Yes, you can do it!

What do you think? Please send your comments to coaching242@yahoo.com or call 429-6770.

• Michelle M Miller is a certified life coach, communication and leadership expert. Visit www.talktomichellemiller.com or call 1-888-620-7894; mail can be sent to PO Box CB-13060.