sjsmith.com.au - blog

Getting Real

Know Yourself

When you work for a company you are usually subject to some sort of critical appraisal or performance evaluation. When you work for yourself it's not just that you don't have anyone to give you that performance check, but often, you're too busy for it.  That being said it is worth taking a good look at yourself as part of your routine business evaluation, whether you do that monthly, six monthly or annually.  This sounds easier than it really is.  

I think we all view ourselves in two ways. We're often hyper-critical of ourselves, demanding over and above what we would would from others or, we have slightly rose-coloured perspective when viewing ourselves. Being honest about how you're performing needs to be critical but not cruel. Have you met targets you set for yourself, be they sales, or social media interaction, or increased revenue?  

If you haven't managed to reach your targets were they a bit unrealistic to begin with? Do you need someone with more expertise to help or, do you need to find some more training for yourself?  Do you just need a little longer to get to where you want?  

It's often hard when you have responsibility for everything to see the areas where you’re lacking but part of having an honest appraisal is also to take a look at the areas where you are doing well.  Have you managed to exceed your production targets or sales figures? Have you created some great networking connections? Finding those areas where you're doing well can be more beneficial than finding where you're falling short.  Can you use those areas where you're shining to improve other areas or leverage contacts? When you're evaluating your own performance try to be honest about what your strengths and weaknesses are.  Just remember that giving any evaluation is not just about finding what's not working but also finding what's going great. You wouldn't give an all negative evaluation to a staff member. Make sure you give yourself the same respect!

Till next time,

Sarah-Jane X