Give yourself a Performance Boost
Sometime you find that it is not that you aren't performing well it is simply that you are not focusing on the right things or presenting yourself in the right way. Here are a couple of ideas that will give a performance boost.
Take a look through your manager's eyes
There is no doubt that your manager will have goals and preferences that are important to him / her personally. By identifying these goals and preferences you will be able to target your efforts for maximum effectiveness. There are two maxims you should live by:
1. Make your manager look good-if you have to represent your department or prepare materials or documents on behalf of your manager, make sure you do it a way that will reflect well on them.
2. Make your manager's priorities your priorities-if your boss asks you to do something linked to their business priorities, put it on the top of your priority list. Respond quickly and efficiently and make sure it is done well.
Focusing on the things that really matter in these areas will lift your profile and give greater impact to the things you do. Oh, and you will also be perceived as being a top performer.
Set the right priorities
A good starting point when determining the things that really matter in your particular job is to go through your position description and look at the key result areas-those major functions you fulfill that specify the results required. If you don't have key result areas for your job, a better starting point would be to talk with your manager and determine what they are. In consultation with your manager, put these in priority order and then plan how you will divide up your time in these areas. The table below shows an example of prioritising job tasks based on Key Result Areas.
| Priority | Key result area | Time allocated (week) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Responding to my customers (internal/external) | 30% |
| 2 | On Site with customers (internal / external) | 30% |
| 3 | Project work / Development | 10% |
| 4 | Administration / Updating customer database | 5% |
| 5 | Communication & Meetings | 10% |
| 6 | Professional Development | 5% |
This will help you identify what is important to your manager and where you should be spending your time. As a result your performance will by necessity improve. Remember what gets examined often gets a prescription to make it better!