As fall sets in, the days get shorter, I can feel 3 simultaneous forces:
The pressure to “finish your work” and “reach your goals” for the year
Fall sets in for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere; the weather is colder and we get less daily sunlight, both affecting our bodies
The Holiday “rush” is an often chaotic experience of preparing for gatherings, mixed with excitement to be with our loved ones
All this adds up to: more “work” with less time and energy. So…I’ll get to the point!
4 Pro-Tips for End-of-Year Performance
Eyes on the Critical Path: Choose to pursue only goals that really matter, and clear out the path to reaching those goals. Only do work that is mission-critical. Don’t even entertain if you “can” fit something on your plate - you will want more time to focus on your top goals (or the Holidays!)
Visualize your Goals: Close your eyes. Vividly imagine success. Where are you? Who are you
with? What happened, what are you seeing, that indicates success? What are people saying? How are you feeling? Paint a scene in your head that you can return to, to keep you motivated.
Throw down the Gauntlet: We all have many obstacles, but pick the 1 you really want to beat to finish strong. And COMMIT 1 technique to overcome that obstacle, over and over again. Visualize (mentally rehearse) yourself overcoming that obstacle.
Manage Perception: ALL performance management systems are subjective and relative. Evaluations are a mostly interpretive process. So: manage your manager’s perceptions as much as you focus on achieving your goals - communicate the value you are delivering regularly, as much as possible with metrics.
Beat Expectations: Promise less than you can deliver, and aim to overperform that expectation. Let your manager know that you overperformed (in the most humble way possible, of course!).
Hack Manager Bias: Take advantage of recency bias, which is the tendency of people to remember what is recent the most. For better or worse, that means you need the last impression of your performance to be really good. Managers tend not to remember, or weigh evenly, evidence earlier in the year.
Habituate your Energy: Figure out what you need to stay in good energy: positive, enthusiastic, motivated, inspired, fulfilled, etc., despite the seasons and weather (I say this as a summer person). Make time, and convert those activities into habits.
Together, these actions will keep you focused on the highest levers to finishing the year strong. Let’s do this! Want to talk through your points? Schedule a chat.
For Learning and With Love,
Coach Chris
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