Lean In: Impact Stories for a Successful Performance Review
My Lean In Content Partnership
I’m very excited to share that I joined the Lean In movement as a content partner for the Lean In London circle.
So I’m grateful for the opportunity to inspire and get inspired by amazing women in the Lean In London network.
The team asked me to cover topics close to the heart of the busy girl-bosses of London: from workplace equity and agile delivery, to tips on setting ambitious goals or asking for a promotion. Here’s a short outtake from my piece on successful end-of-year reviews:
How to nail an appraisal or performance review?
‘Tis the season for end-of-year conversations, appraisals and performance reviews. Celebrate your impact, learning and growth, and create a game plan for 2022!
Whether you work for yourself or in a company, or you might have already had your year-end conversations, wrap this challenging year with a clear view on your impact.
We collated best practices from professional women all across London:
Show Your Impact
Go beyond listing achievements versus failures. Some results, such as sales figures or social media impressions, will be clearly measurable. But impact stories go beyond hitting targets.
What goals did you hit? What are you proud of? What did you achieve beyond daily tasks? What problems did you solve? What has changed as a result?
Get a realistic view of how you are perceived through collecting feedback from colleagues, direct reports or managers, clients and collaborators.
“How did I help you achieve your goals?” “What are my top 3 superpowers that allowed me to bring value to you or your team?” “How did I increase your impact?”
Be Clear About Your Requests
Get ready to articulate and discuss your accomplishments: focus on the 3-5 impact stories that best demonstrate the value you bring through both quantifiable results and testimonies of exceeding expectations.
Listen to feedback on your stories and don’t get discouraged by any builds or disagreements, ask for concrete examples that you can reflect on.
Do you hope for a promotion or a raise? Are you interested in a specific project or training? Employers or clients rarely grant unspoken wishes. Link your achievements with future steps and wrap your impact conversation with clear and concrete requests.
Make a Game Plan
Typically, managers or clients won’t be able to confirm or take action on your requests on the spot. So align on expectations and timelines for follow up actions.
After the conversation, drop a note to say thanks, recap the impact stories and feedback discussed, and lock the plan for an amazing 2022!
Find out more about my content partnership and the Lean In network here.
