March 5, 2009 at 12:48 am
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Up Your Value
March 5, 2009 at 5:46 am
For myself I maintain a list of achievements throughout the year in a Word document, then at review time I edit this and submit to my boss. I found if I wait until review time to try and remember what I did all year, I'll forget a lot of things. He can use it or not, but it gives me an input to my review. For my staff I have a form that I give them on a monthly basis to list their accomplishments; then we review it on a quarterly basis.
March 5, 2009 at 6:31 am
Really, it depends on your boss.
I had a list of accomplishments that I brought up in my review. In 2008, I definitely went above and beyond what other programmers have done in this company. I was told in my review that my accomplishments were what any "average" programmer would do. :ermm:
Some bosses may not care about your brand or your accomplishments. They may just care about the bottom line.
Mia
I have come to the conclusion that the top man has one principle responsibility: to provide an atmosphere in which creative mavericks can do useful work.
-- David M. Ogilvy
March 5, 2009 at 7:32 am
mhaskins (3/5/2009)
I was told in my review that my accomplishments were what any "average" programmer would do.
Mia,
Minimizing an employee's value by calling it 'average' is a nasty little tactic that depends on the normal human trait of self-minimalization. This boss definitely does not have your best interest at heart. This tactic works in just about any situation. Someone stays at work for 36 hours straight to recover a failed database - "that's what we pay her to do; what's the big deal?" Talk a customer out of canceling a major contract - "anybody could have done that; I just gave you the opportunity to see if you would screw it up." Build an excellent application that saves the company thousands of dollars each month - "well, don't worry, once you get some more experience you'll learn how to build a more elegant solution."
This type of manager is either a) trying to look good at your expense, b) trying to make you believe that you couldn't get a job anywhere else so that you won't leave, or c) is just a seriously screwed-up individual. In any case, don't depend on this manager to be good for your career.
\Steve
March 5, 2009 at 7:56 am
As a perhaps cynical note on this, keeping a running list of your accomplishments at a job also makes it much easier to update your resume if/when you find you need to do that.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
March 5, 2009 at 7:58 am
Steve S. (3/5/2009)
This boss definitely does not have your best interest at heart.
Yeah - no kidding. I have no clue whether he is trying for a, b, or c.
The point just was - that you can try to create your own brand, and list your accomplishments for the company, but you need to have a decent boss to actually look at those things and appreciate them.
Mia
I have come to the conclusion that the top man has one principle responsibility: to provide an atmosphere in which creative mavericks can do useful work.
-- David M. Ogilvy
March 5, 2009 at 8:07 am
mhaskins (3/5/2009)
The point just was - that you can try to create your own brand, and list your accomplishments for the company, but you need to have a decent boss to actually look at those things and appreciate them.
That's when you walk out of the door and find a manager who does appreciate you (or preferably, find the manager first then resign)
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
March 5, 2009 at 9:03 am
Mia,
Brent Ozar addresses some of this (http://www.brentozar.com/archive/2009/03/are-you-being-treated-fairly/) in his blog post.
If a manager doesn't appreciate what you've done, re-examine it and be sure that you have gone above and beyond. Talk to someone else you trust and see if you have really done more than others.
If you have, I'd look for a new position. The best time to get another job is when you don't need one.
March 5, 2009 at 9:12 am
It took me years to realize that I had to look out for myself because bosses won't do it for you.
I finally gave up a Directors position in one company, sold everything we owned, and headed to a different part of the country with no promise of a job, but an expectation that anything would be better than what I left. Not easy to do at 56.
I now make 60% more than I did at my last job, working for an absolutely incredible company and a great boss.
Three things made it possible:
1. Finally believing in myself and my true worth to an organization.
2. Support of my wife (third time was a charm).
3. An overwhelming belief that things would work out for the better. (In my case based on a trust in God. Unusual for someone that hasn't been inside a church for over 30 years other than to get married...)
Definitely keep a realistic track of your skills, accomplishments, and worth to an organization, and if you are in a "co-dependant" job wise up and get the hell out..
March 5, 2009 at 9:20 am
We have a weekly staff meeting where we discuss our projects. That is the perfect time to also state what you've accomplished or whom you've served since the last meeting.
It's also time to say if you've messed up anything. Someone who is willing to take credit for accomplishments must also be willing to accept the blame. The blame list should be infrequent and very, very small. 😉
March 5, 2009 at 9:22 am
Steve Jones - Editor (3/5/2009)
If a manager doesn't appreciate what you've done, re-examine it and be sure that you have gone above and beyond. Talk to someone else you trust and see if you have really done more than others.
Very good point. I had a former colleague who was very sure that he was a top-class performer, that he did far above what was required. Unfortunately his beliefs and reality differed somewhat.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
March 5, 2009 at 10:07 am
I'm not sure the blame list should be too small or infrequent. I want people trying things and growing, and that often requires mistakes. You don't want big mistakes, or mistakes because someone doesn't bother to think ahead of time, but you have to tolerate them.
What you can't tolerate is the same mistakes over and over. You have to learn from your mistakes.
New mistakes = OK. Same mistake = Problem
March 5, 2009 at 11:19 am
I laughed out loud at a Dilbert comic strip from Monday of this week. The "Director of Marketecture" is giving a presentation and he says "It is better to seem good than to be good." The projected slide behind him says "BEING GOOD (overrated)."
The reality is that, whether for a company, a product, or an individual, BOTH are important: being good and seeming good. If you only have one or the other going for you, you are more likely to find yourself in trouble sooner or later.
March 5, 2009 at 11:24 am
I have saved goal-completion interviews for purposes of bonus by keeping a list of accomplishments. Also a job or two. That is the deal with IT jobs though... nobody really notices you unless stuff is broken, and then you are under the gun. There are no real kudos "saving the day"; that is expected from IT positions. Recognized accomplishments are actual improvements and extra above-and-beyond the call of duty type issues. Taking initiative and can-do attitude are the real tools in this area.
March 5, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Hmm, showing value. For me, it's a simple formula: employer = customer. I don't work as an employee. I contract/consult/temp - whatever you want to call it. The valuable work finds me and I am always under evaluation. I don't require the corporate performance review (an absolute abomination, IMO). My approval comes in the form of getting paid and getting more work. The best part is that my work is actually desired; I'm not just some warm body kept on staff to maintain someone's fiefdom.
As a side, am I alone in my cynicism of corporate work and the "performance review"? Surely there must be others?? Maybe I need therapy 🙂
James Stover, McDBA
Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 16 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply