3. How Are You Doing? (Continued)

            Many organizations spread the process over three different meetings.

            In the first one, the employee and the supervisor discuss what has happened since the last evaluations. This is when employees can display any records or evidence they think necessary.

            During the second meeting, the supervisor presents a final evaluation of past performance, including a list of areas that might need improvement. They also discuss future goals, and develop an action plan to reach them.

            The third meeting is usually quite short. This is where employees sign their final review, and add any comments they think should be included. This is also where they can usually ask for a review by the next highest supervisor.

            In most organizations, the actual evaluation goes something like this:

1)         Excellent Performance: key behaviors are exemplary; results are consistently excellent; skill level is clearly superior.

2)         Solid Performance: key behaviors are above average; results consistently meet or exceed expectations; skill level is above average.

3)         Meets Expectation: key behaviors are acceptable; results usually meet expectations; skill level is competent

4)         Needs Improvement: key behaviors need improvement in one or more areas; results are inconsistent or do not always meet expectations; some skills may not be sufficient to handle job responsibilities.

            Although becoming defensive is a very natural reaction to the evaluation process, it is more important to use the process to gather information on how you—and thus, your image—are perceived. In this case, it is the perception of your supervisor. While you may feel that your supervisor’s perception is incorrect, it is that person’s perception of how you are doing on the job. Remember, for each of us, perception is our reality.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

4. Mentors

            How did you get to where you are now? Did you do it completely on your own? Did you have help? Did you, by chance, have a formal mentor? We have all had teachers during our lives; some in classrooms, some outside of classrooms, some at work, some formal, some informal.

            Regardless how you got to where you are today, you are not the same person you started out as. You have learned, matured, and grown, hopefully, to become more like the person you want to be; the one with the image that you want to be true to.

            Many of us in the organizational world have, or have had, mentors; usually older, but always more experienced people, professionals who help us adapt to and develop within the organizational and professional world.

            Mentors do not do this job for money or gain. In fact, most of them explain that what they are really doing is paying back those people who helped them develop by passing it on to the next generation. There are different ways of finding a mentor. Many of us get unofficially “adopted” by more experienced hands who just take us under their wings. It’s not something we or they planned or even looked for, but we consider ourselves lucky for the experience. Some organizations have a formal mentoring program which matches new employees to mentors.

            In some cases professional organizations and societies have mentor programs. While they might not always be able to match you up with someone in your organization, they can match you up with someone in your profession, someone who can help you learn the ins and outs of the functions you perform as well as assist you in your career growth.                                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

6. The Female Mentor

            While everyone can benefit from a mentor, women who are looking for female mentors seem to have more trouble finding them than men do finding male mentors. There are, after all, fewer women in senior positions than there are men, which means that women have fewer potential women mentors.

            The following excerpt from a Boston project/programme purpose Journal article by Jennifer Floren, CEO and president of Experience.com, is a brief overview of her perspective on female mentors. While the article is aimed at women, men can certainly learn from it as well. (see http://www.experience.com/news/09292000.html):

            “You see her every day—the new junior ad sales rep, the assistant financial analyst, the public relations coordinator. She’s young, a recent college graduate, and just getting comfortable on the first few rungs of that organizational ladder. If you think back to when you started out in the project/programme purpose world—whether it be 2, 10 or 50 years ago—try to remember how you felt: certainly excited, but also bewildered, nervous, and at times, frustrated. You were probably struggling with a number of issues and questions, of all natures and sizes: what is my role in this organization? How do I address the CEO or Senior Vice President in meetings? How are these tedious, entry-level tasks possibly going to lead to a successful career? How do I ask for a raise or promotion? If you’re lucky, you can also remember that one person, that role model, who took the time to talk to you, show you the ropes and help you guide your own career.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

7. The Female Mentor (Continued)

Again, whether female or male, having a mentor is an important way to receive valuable information on how you are doing and how you communicate on the job. The article on female mentors goes on to point out issues from a woman’s perspective, but one that can be valuable for men as well:

            “If you were fortunate enough to have found that friend and mentor, I would guess that your memory is a fond one. The transition from college to career is difficult, including the pressure of fitting into a organization, impressing your new colleagues and superiors and developing an awareness of what is “taboo” in your new office setting. Of course, new project/programme purposewomen are bound to make mistakes while starting their career journey, but with the guidance of a mentor, each new project/programme purposewoman will be more educated, confident and poised to make better decisions.

          “With everything that women have achieved, some might say the importance of young women having role models and mentors has declined. I don’t believe that to be true. While women should be proud of their progress in the project/programme purpose world—there are exceptional women in every sector of activity, in every profession—we must also recognize that future generations of women still need guidance. It has traditionally been more difficult for women to find role models—perhaps because many of our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers have not experienced the unique issues that face women in the project/programme purpose world today. And while there are many men who are wonderful role models, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the unique set of issues that face women in the workplace—and it is that perspective that truly can change the course of a young woman’s career.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

8. Finding a Mentor

            If your organization does not have a formal mentoring program, and if no one offers to be one, you can always ask. The mentor relationship can be one of the most helpful and satisfying ones you can have on the job.

            As consultant F. John Reh, who mentored a number of people during his engineering career, says at the management advice pages he oversees at, http://management.about.com/mbiopage.htm:

            “Far and away the best place to look for a mentor, however, is right in front of you. Look around you at work. Is there an individual who you admire and respect? Someone who has always impressed you with their insight and perceptiveness?

            “Maybe your boss or your boss’s boss. Maybe it’s a Vice President in a different division. It could even be the older individual who isn’t currently a top executive of your organization, but who you know has lots of experience.

            “Approach that individual and ask if they would consider being your mentor. Depending on the individual, and your current relationship, your proposal will vary in the amount of detail and how it is delivered. At the very least, let them know why you selected them and what you hope to learn from the association. If appropriate for the specific individual, you can also discuss amounts of time to be committed and what you will contribute.

            “Don’t put it off. What can you lose? Even if they decline to be you mentor, and few will, they will be flattered that you asked.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

10. Who Are You, Really?

            One of the rules of project/programme purpose is that if you are not growing—not moving—you are falling behind. It is true for your actual project/programme purpose operation. It is also true for your own personal development. To be personally successful in the organizational world, we must constantly discover, re-discover, and re-invent ourselves. This does not necessarily mean that you must climb the organizational ladder, but rather that you are willing to accept information about yourself and use that information to do the best job you can.

            The one thing we can always count on life to do is to continue. Life goes on. As it does, it changes. We have to be able to change with it. In the same way that we are not the same people who started school all too many years ago, we are not the same people who started working for a living at that first job, or even working at our present position.

            Some people can change, grow, and develop on their own. Some are part of a network of friends and job associates. Others use mentors and still others hire professional coaches or consultants to help them out.

            In looking for a professional coach, you might want to find someone certified by the AICI, Association of Image Consultants International. With chapters in Europe, Japan, Australia, the U.S., Canada, and Korea, and members in even more countries, it is a non-profit worldwide association of consultants who specialize in image as well as verbal and nonverbal communication skills.

            In looking for a mentor, you want someone you can relate to, someone you respect, admire, can learn from, and feel that you can trust.

            You are looking for a person or people who can help you find the answers to two of the most important questions you will ever have to ask yourself:

            “Who are you, really? And who do you want to become?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Assignments

Multiple Choice

1.         What question must you answer about your image?

a.       Does my image reflect who I really am?

b.      Does my image reflect who people think I am?

c.       Does my image reflect who I am trying to become?

d.      All of the above

2.         During a performance review, most people are evaluated by

a.       The CEO of the organization

b.      Their peers

c.       Their immediate supervisor

d.      None of the above

3.         At a performance review employees are usually allowed to

a.       Read the evaluation

b.      Add personal comments

c.       Sign the evaluation

d.      All of the above

4.         To find a mentor, you can

a.       Get unofficially adopted by more experienced professionals

b.      Get matched to someone through a formal mentoring program at work

c.       Get matched to someone through a formal mentoring program at a professional organization

d.      All of the above

5.         __________ are regularly hired by individuals or their organizations to help        executives develop to the best of their capabilities.

a.       project/programme purpose coaches

b.      Mentors

c.       Both of the above

d.      None of the above

6.         The person being evaluated at a performance review will often complete          ________, which will become part of the permanent record.

a.       Evaluations of peers

b.      Self evaluation forms

c.       Surveys

d.      None of the above

7.         All of the following are components of a “solid performance” grade except

a.       Key behaviors are above average

b.      Skill level is above average

c.       Results usually meets expectations

d.      None of the above

8.         With performance reviews, the supervisor presents a final evaluation of past    performance in the

a.       First meeting

b.      Second meeting

c.       Third meeting

d.      Fourth meeting

Matching the Columns

Answers:

1.)    E

2.)    A

3.)    B

4.)    C

5.)    F

6.)    D

Test

1. ______        Before you can honestly answer questions about your image, you must be                               able to take a good look at what the rest of the world sees and hears when                           you walk into a room and start talking.

2. ______        While job evaluation policies vary from organization to organization and                                           jurisdiction to jurisdiction, most of them follow different formats.

3. ______        Employees who disagree with their evaluation can usually request a                             meeting and review by the highest person in their personal chain of                              command.

4. ______        Some organizations have a formal mentoring program which matches new                                  employees to mentors.

5. _____          Women who are looking for a female mentor seem to have an easier time                               than men to finding male mentors.

6. ______        One way to develop is to use a professional project/programme purpose or executive coach.

7. ______        One advantage of coaches is that different coaches have similar skills.

8. ______        If you are not growing, you are falling behind.

9. ______        In looking for a professional coach, you might want to find someone                            certified by the ACLU.

10. ______      Before you know yourself, you can decide what to do about your image.

Answers:

1.                  T

2.                  F – the same general format

3.                  F – next highest person

4.                  T

5.                  F – a harder time

6.                  T

7.                  F – different skills

8.                  T

9.                  F – AICI

10.              F – Once you know yourself

Bibliography

Rosen, M., & Alpert, F. (1994). Protecting your project/programme purpose image: The supreme court rules on trade dress. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 1, 50-55.

Saks, A., & Waldman, D. (1998, July). The relationship between age and job performance evaluations for entry-level professionals. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 19 (4), 409-419.

Wellington, C., & Bryson, J. (2001, Nov.). At face value? Image consultancy, emotional labor and professional work. Sociology, 35 (4), 933-946.

Glossary

Performance review – A face-to-face meeting with your immediate supervisor in which your performance since the last review is discussed.

Mentor – A more experience professional who helps us adapt to and develop within the organizational and professional world.

project/programme purpose coaches – Regularly hired by individuals or their organizations to help executives develop to the best of their capabilities, straighten out problems, and improve managerial and executive skills.

AICI – Association of Image Consultants International; a non-profit worldwide association of consultants who specialize in image as well as verbal and nonverbal communication skills.

Learning Objectives

·        While we all want to present the best image of ourselves that we can, it is important to present the truth.

·        Most of us need outside help in developing into the people we want to become; the people we can become. Before we can get that help, however, we have to figure out who we are and what image we communicated.

Q&A

1.  What happens at a performance review?

Most people are evaluated by their immediate supervisor during a face-to-face meeting. The ones being evaluated will often complete self-evaluation forms, which will become part of the permanent record, along with their supervisor’s evaluation. The employee and supervisor will discuss how the employee has been doing in terms of objective criteria spelled out in a written job description. Employees are allowed to read the evaluation, add personal comments, and then sign the review.

2.  Many organizations spread the review over three meetings. What happens at each meeting?

In the first meeting, the employee and the supervisor discuss what has happened since the last evaluations. This is when employees can display any records or evidence they think necessary. During the second meeting, the supervisor presents a final evaluation of past performances, including a list of areas that might need improvement. They also discuss future goals and develop an action plan to reach them. The third meeting is usually quite short. This is where employees sign their final review, and add any comments they think should be included. This is also where they can usually ask for a review by the next highest supervisor.

3.  What services do mentors perform that help us become the people we want to become?

Mentors advise and help us to better understand what it is we are supposed to be doing, how to do it, and how to do it the way the organization wants it done. They give us a better sense of the organizational culture, and tell us about the people we have to deal with, and some of the hidden agendas we might not be aware of. They help us wade through the terrifying minefield of office politics that we too often have to navigate. They are a safe haven, a place to go and a person to talk to we can trust and have confidence in. They set an example, and are honest with us, even when it is both unpleasant and painful. They console and advise us when we suffer setbacks, and are happy for and with us about our successes. They help anchor us to the reality of our work situation and keep it in perspective; both the bad and the good.

End of Module