Self Assessment

This week at work we are starting the self assessment process for our end of year reviews. We have to fill out this long internet form telling how great we are. We list out the projects we worked on, whether they were successes or failures and how we will do better next year. We then have to give examples of how our actions throughout the year aligned with the company’s vision. Lastly we list four strengths and four weaknesses and talk about examples of these as well.

It is quite an annoying process. Of course at work everyone is going to detail how awesome they are and try not to shed light on some of the areas where they may have faltered. Our bonus is tied directly to the results of the self assessment, so who is going to make themselves look bad? After we fill it out, our bosses review it with us, and then it gets submitted to mathmagically fit into our bonus structure.

My questions – as fathers, how often do we sit down and do the same type of activity? When do we sit down and see if we are achieving the goals we had set? And if not, why aren’t we hitting those goals? When do we detail out how our actions throughout a given period of time align with our family values and the direction our families are headed? When do we list out our strengths and weaknesses as a father and make plans to improve on the latter?

Today I encourage you to take on this challenge. You may find yourself surprised to find how well you are doing or how far you have strayed off course. This could be a valuable exercise to do once a year to make sure you are doing what you said you would do. Make a list of goals at the beginning of the year. Not wimpy goals like “get in shape”, but tangible goals that can be measured. At the end of the year give yourself a review and gauge how well you did. There is no money involved, and no advancement in your career, so be honest. If you failed, figure out why you failed so you can achieve the goal the following year. I think if we actively and honestly monitor how we are doing as fathers, our family as a whole will benefit in the long run. Read more about this process here.

Let me know your thoughts…..P@