In C-level support, performance reviews are often seen as a necessary evil. On the one hand, most employees want feedback about their work performance. On the other hand, they are also a source of stress for both employees and employers. And they don’t always lead to improvements in performance as expected. These tips will help you improve performance reviews in your organization.

Set Clear Expectations

The best way to minimize anxiety around performance reviews is to communicate expectations clearly in advance. Share with your employees what the performance criteria are and ask them how they feel about them. With the pandemic still ongoing, communication is more important than ever. It is a good idea to have weekly check-ins with employees in addition to end-of-the-year reviews. Schedule dedicated time for the check-ins and communicate in advance what the goal will be. That way employees can have time to prepare and won’t feel like they’re being put on the spot.

Take an Empathetic Approach

Many people are going through a tough time right now, so it is critical that you talk to your team members and identify their individual situation in light of the pandemic. Your employees may have responsibilities in their life they didn’t have a year ago. It is a good idea to ask them what has changed for them. You also want to know how they are handling these changes so you can understand what additional support you can provide them to make their job less stressful. Asking these questions can help you give more effective performance evaluations and give employees more accurate feedback.

Give Goal-Oriented Feedback

One reason employees often dislike performance feedback is because they are used to reviews focusing on negatives. Employees want to know what they are doing well. They also want to learn exactly what skills they need work on to improve their performance. Your team members want to succeed, but they need to know what adjustments they can make to be more effective in their role. Once employees understand where they excel and where they need improvement, they can set specific goals to help them get where they need to be.

Most professionals dread annual performance reviews, but feedback in general is necessary for growth. You can make performance reviews more valuable by providing regular, consistent feedback, taking the time to comprehend what your team members are going through and what support they need to succeed. Focus on communicating clear expectations and pinpointing goal development.

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Business etiquette helps you build stronger relationships with colleagues and clients, while allowing you to present yourself in a professional, authoritative manner. Having the ability to consistently create a great first impression can help you get ahead in the world of executive support. Below are some tips for improving business etiquette to advance your career.

Treat People Respectfully

The most personal aspect of business etiquette is the way you treat others. For example, it’s important to learn the names of new clients and colleagues quickly. It’s also essential to show respect to everyone in the workplace regardless of their position and be aware of people’s boundaries. Learn to acknowledge any personal biases you have and make sure you don’t let them influence the way you speak to and act towards clients and coworkers.

Communicate Professionally

The way you communicate affects how other people in the workplace view you. You want to show others that you are serious about your work. This is why it is important to communicate in a professional manner. For example, you shouldn’t go longer than a day before returning a work call or email. Emails and other written communication should be free of spelling and grammatical errors. Also avoid overusing all caps, italics, and other style choices that can come across as rude.

Meeting Etiquette

While many people dread meetings, it is imperative you continue to show respect during meetings and conferences. Meeting etiquette means arriving on time, keeping your phone out of sight unless you specifically need it for the purpose of the meeting, and actively participating in conversations. Even if you’re bored, you should do your best to always stay engaged and take notes when necessary.

Think About How You Represent the Company

The way you present yourself in person and online reflects on your employer. No matter the dress code at your office, you should dress professionally, especially if you are meeting with a client. Also keep your social media pages fairly professional. You certainly don’t want to say anything negative about the company, its employees, or its clients. You should also avoid controversial posts, posts that reference illicit activities, or anything else that could put into question your values or the values of your company.

Improving business etiquette can advance your career by helping to improve your network, as well as your reputation. It is important to treat everyone with respect and always present yourself in the best light possible.

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“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” – John Maxwell

There are times in life, both personally and professionally, in which circumstances can change at such a rapid speed that our opinions, perspectives, and course of action can change by the day, if not by the hour. When faced with such circumstances, there are generally three groups of people:

• Those who take reflective but action-oriented responses to do whatever can be done to mitigate the challenges and seize opportunities
• Those who simply panic and overload themselves and others with reactions that may be reasonable but tend only to exacerbate the challenges
• Those who are simply bystanders; the proverbial “deer in the headlights”

As leaders, we have an obligation to do all we can to put ourselves in the first group. When there is so much we cannot control, we can control is being the loudest voice in the room.

How can we capitalize on chaos and emerge stronger, both as a leader and as an organization?

Embrace the Gray

With all that seems to divide the world today, we might not be as far apart as it seems. The news feeds on extremes and is no longer just a 30-minute daily segment or a newspaper on your doorstep. Now social media is the source of news for many. With this shift, it also means now that news is a commodity. Media outlets fight for clicks and viewership. Headlines are now competing for your business, and extremes get more viewership.

Seeing things as a polarity to manage versus a right/wrong approach shifts our paradigm and allows all to better understand each other’s perspective. It is possible to hold two opposing views simultaneously in a world that needs optimization over perfection.

Imposter Syndrome

It’s only natural, when faced with a new crisis, to harbor a dirty little secret – that deep down inside, you have no idea what you are doing. Many high achievers can at times feel like complete frauds, as if their accomplishments are just the result of serendipitous luck. Although you’ve been told many times that one of the secrets to success is “fake it until you make it,” this can also lead to what many label as imposter syndrome: a feeling of inadequacy despite evidence that indicates that you’re skilled and quite successful.

Although you might be leading a team through uncharted waters and not sure of your footing, you are completely in control of where you choose to step. You decide your voice, your message to others, and your attitude. Recognize that perfectionism and imposter syndrome are often a related pair. Many high performing individuals set excessively high goals for themselves and tend to have a twinge of control-freak woven in. They think if they want something done right, they have to do it themselves. In times of uncertainty and change, it may feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, so distribute the weight. Find other leaders who are also leading through uncharted waters and learn from them. Create opportunities by delegating responsibilities, and don’t expect immediate perfection from others. Remember that you are better than you think you are, smarter than you think you are, and more worthy than you believe.

Ultimately, imposter syndrome might not be something from which you suffer, but it may be for those you lead. Look for signs around you just as much as you look for signs within.

Your Choice

Protect your mind. In times of unknown, whether it be an acquisition, new leadership, economic uncertainty, or global turmoil, people tend to experience greater anxiety when they feel like they don’t have access to the information that they need. On the other hand, a sense of panic can stem from being immersed 24/7 in reports that focus on inaccurate or overly negative information. “Why is this happening?” is a question of despair. “What can we do?” is a question of possibilities and hope.

The quest for certainty is a quest for comfort. Ultimately, it might be that the support we seek comes from a “who” rather than a “what.” People in our lives are what truly shape us. When times are good, our families, friends, work associates, and clients know us, but in times of adversity, we truly know them. Choose to be the kind of person you would want in your life when you face personal adversity. Choose empathy over judgment. Choose optimism over pessimism. Choose to give instead of take. Choose to be the person that makes others feel better after they interact with you. Choose to be with people who make you a better you.

Many people spend as much time with work associates as they do with even the closest family or friends. What if all of us made a concerted effort to be the best version of ourselves with each other? What if we all treated each other the way that s/he want to be treated? What if the “who” we are collectively provides much of the comfort we all seek? What if we then did our best to take this way of being to our family, friends, and community?

Times of change and adversity shape who you will become, but also expose who you are now. Diamonds are just chunks of coal that did well under pressure. In times of chaos, be the diamond.

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