Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
During the pandemic, I started reading a few curated electronic newsletters focused on self and home. I totally blame them for our sourdough starter project and the fact that I’m reading a Reddit thread on retro library music. Over time, these newsletters have expanded their focus to include remote work, which totally makes sense. One of them – and I apologize because I can’t remember which one, shared a link to a document titled “The Ultimate Annual Review”.
The Ultimate Annual Review was created by Steve Schlafman, who describes himself as a coach and angel investor. The document is FREE for download. I don’t think I’m giving anything away if I tell you that it has five activities:
- Moments & Milestones
- Reflections & Learnings
- Current Life Assessment
- Intentions for 20XX (the document currently says 2021, but you could change it to 2022)
- Planning for 20XX (same as number 4, you have to change the year)
While I think the original intent of the document was to provide a template for an annual “life” review. I could see the document being something you could use for your personal and professional life. It’s not designed to replace the company’s performance review, but you might find the experience of doing it to be very insightful.
One of the things that could have been tough over the past year was dealing with the lack of feedback. We’re used to getting reactions to our work and when we work remotely, it can be a challenge. I know there are a few companies that either scaled down or didn’t do performance reviews last year. And now, many organizations are starting to delay reopening offices. So, I wanted to share this document with you as a way for you to give yourself an annual review.
If your organization does annual reviews, great! This document could be a way for you to prepare for your annual review conversation. If you’re a freelancer or consultant, this could be a perfect way to evaluate your own work and set some goals for the upcoming year. And if you’re looking for a new opportunity, you might be able to use this document to start planning your job search.
There’s a lot going on right now. It’s easy when things are changing all the time to forget how much we really have accomplished. Or lose sight of our goals. The Ultimate Performance Review could help us focus and plan for the future – even if it might not include sourdough.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while sitting at her desk in Gainesville, FL
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