business tools
I’ve always admired some of the silly practices of the company I work for. They’re not beaurocratic or lame traditions – they’re effective and useful. One in particular is the 6-month retrospective. They name it the “How we doin” session. Here’s how it works:
1. schedule and sit down with your manager(s)
2. each about a few things that you (the subject) feel you do well
3. talk about a few things you feel you could do better
4. talk about how your manager(s) and the company could help you in your job/career
5. set goals for the next six months
It’s not held as a “performance review”. The goals discussed aren’t contracts or measurements for your success. I’ve found it’s a great way to really boil down where you’re coming from and where you’re going. Having only been through two, I’m not sure I could cite a trend, but it is really amazing how things change in six months. The goals that I had six months ago have either been accomplished in short order, or become moot. It’s a little like new year’s resolutions – things you know you can accomplish, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t.
Stuff I learned:
* no matter how much I feel like I’m not going fast enough in my career, I’m still growing and improving at a break-neck pace.
* all of the hard work I put in to being a better person and better coworker are really appreciated. I can make mistakes or not-so-great decisions, but as long as I work well with others, all is forgiven.
* I do know my strengths.
It helps to know I’m moving in the right direction. Now if only I could freeze the day so I can get in more work.