So Whose Career Is It?

Are you an employee wondering what your next performance appraisal will be like? Or when they will get around to giving you a promotion? Or saying they better give you a good raise this year -- or else?

Are you an employer dreading the next round of performance appraisals because of the time it takes to prepare for them? Maybe you wince when you think of the dreaded conversation when the employee doesn't agree with your assessment and asks for a myriad of examples to prove your point.

If these scenarios are even close to reality, the balance of responsibility in your organization may be out of whack.

The care and feeding of one's career path is the responsibility of the individual himself or herself. It is not an employer's job to lie awake at night coming up with a unique direction for each staff member to keep them challenged. Think about it. Most people have enough trouble figuring out what they want to do and what their next steps should be, let alone trying to read someone else's mind and craft something creative for him or her. Are managers assuming too much of a parental role toward staff because they get satisfaction from feeling that powerful or are they doing it because employees are increasingly pressuring them into it? It's probably a little of both.

It is rewarding to feel as though you have played a major part in someone's journey. In addition to the power you assume, you likely feel like something of an expert. The individual waits until you decide what it is he or she should do, how much he or she should get paid for it, and how well he or she has achieved his or her goals. Employees actually begin to feel that what you have to say on the matter is more important than what they think. With the father figure making all the choices, the employee doesn't have to take responsibility when things don't work out as planned. Unfortunately, what also happens is that the employee never gets the needed confidence to run his or her own life and thus waits until someone else makes decisions for him or her. Hence, you have the employee who is miserable in a job but waits until he or she is terminated rather than quit and seek other opportunities.

Employees, Listen Up!
It is your career and your life so start acting like it. Here are some things you should be doing now:

• Knowledge is power. Make sure you have sufficient information about your job and the expectations surrounding it from the very beginning. That means asking lots of questions at the interview stage or if it is already too late for that, when you begin work. Or, if by some chance, it's also too late for that, ask those questions now. What kinds of questions? Things like, "How does my position fit into the big picture? What kinds of opportunities have individuals in this position been afforded? Exactly what criteria will be used to determine my success at this job? What do salary increases depend upon?"

• Set objectives. Decide what you want to accomplish, at least in the short term. If it's not appropriate to share those objectives with someone at work, don't. But at least you need to know what your destination is and how you are going to get there. Determine how your job (this one and the next) will help you get what you want. Make your objectives clear to those in a position to help teach you the skills you want to obtain and give you the assignments you'd prefer. Take some courses on your own, read books, speak with people who are involved in the things that appeal to you. Keep track of what you do and how various things have helped you so you'll know what to keep doing.

• Prepare for your performance review. Whether or not you're asked, be prepared for your performance review. If possible, obtain a copy of the form your manager will use to assess your performance. Complete it as honestly as you can, giving lots of specific examples for the answers you give. Make yourself heard during the review and do not hesitate to give an opposing point of view (as long as you can back it up intelligently).

• Ask for feedback. Not every organization has formal performance reviews. Most people are familiar with those managers who would rather have a root canal than have a candid conversation about someone's progress at work. If you want feedback, you may just have to make the first move. You may find that asking about your performance on a particular assignment will be more beneficial than saving up your questions and asking them all at once. Your manager may not be prepared and may be put off by the preparation he or she thinks he or she has to do. Ask a few simple questions such as, "How would you rate my performance on the ABC assignment? What do you think I could do better next time? Do you think I met your [and the client's] expectations?"
  
  One very important thing to remember is that if you ask for feedback, you must be prepared for positive as well as negative responses. If you are given information that you disagree with or that hurts your feelings, you may certainly ask for clarification, but do not argue or sulk. If you do, don't be surprised if no feedback is forthcoming in the future.

Managers/Employers, Back Off!
If you constantly have the answers, suggestions and advice, you will make it extremely hard for your staff to develop confidence and take responsibility for their performance and career. Here are some of the things you should be doing now:

• Be clear about your expectations. The more everyone can agree on what is to be delivered, the less your staff will need your stamp of approval. Why? Because employees will know without asking where they excelled and where they disappointed.

• Self-assessment should be a requirement. I sincerely hope you have a performance appraisal process in your organization. But is it one where you do all the talking? Try reversing the process by sitting back and listening. Ask employees how they think they've done and whether their goals are being met. If an individual is deficient in important areas, you can point that out, but be sure to explain the problem and its impact so the employee will know how to fix it.

• Make suggestions only as a last resort. Resist the urge to play the older, wiser know-it-all. Most people, although not always able to articulate it, are the experts on themselves. They know better than anyone what makes them happy, what they want to strive for, what they would be willing to sacrifice for their dreams, etc. Ask them questions and refuse to accept an "I don't know" answer. If necessary, give them time to think about it and question them again. Only when it becomes clear that something is too personal and they do not wish to share it should you give up.

• Once goals have been spelled out, it should also be up to the individual to map out his or her journey. Sometimes you may feel sure that a particular strategy will fail. It is still important to let the individual discover that for him or herself. Only if some potential danger (to your business) exists should you interfere and suggest another option.

• Want employees to be responsible for their own careers? Prove it. Consider engaging in the performance review process only when initiated by the employee or consider increasing compensation only when initiated and defended by the employee. Wouldn't this take the onus for career development off you and put it where it belongs?

Being in control of one's direction is extremely rewarding. It builds confidence and increases the odds that life will be more fulfilling. Employees, don't be overly dependent upon others' opinions of your success and don't sit back and wait for someone to tell you what your next step is or should be. Employers/ managers, there must be a million more productive things you could be doing other than running the lives of your entire staff. Demonstrating your belief in another to make the right choices and being available to help if required is a truly valuable gift.

Remember, if you ask for feedback, be prepared for positive as well as negative responses. But if you disagree, ask for clarification but don't argue or sulk

Carolyn Cohen, CA, MSW, runs a training and human resources consulting practice in Toronto and is CAmagazine's Technical editor for People management. She can be reached at c.cohen@sympatico.ca.

Source: CA Magazine. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. Powered by Yellowbrix.