Six Steps for Writing a Self-Appraisal

Dominique Jones reports:

"[T]aking the time to reflect on your past 12 months of performance is a critical component of the annual performance review process — so make time for it!...You may be under the impression that it’s your manager who needs to remember all the great accomplishments and successes you had throughout the year (and the times you may have messed up, too). However, you're also accountable for reporting on your successes (and failures). Here’s why: Managers aren’t superheroes who can see and remember every little thing you did in the year...Not only does it allow your manager to view performance from your perspective, [but] it also helps your manager understand what you see as your strengths and weaknesses. All of the above help set the stage for a detailed and thorough appraisal meeting...Look at previous feedback received, projects you’ve completed and initiatives you’ve launched...If you haven’t done so in the past, start keeping a performance journal. It will make your next self-appraisal that much easier to complete...Look to identify the ways in which you’ve been able to enhance your skills; describe the new skills you’ve mastered and how they've helped you in your career development. Describe how you've applied these new skills to your job and how they support the goals of your department and organization...This isn’t an annual opportunity for shameless self- promotion. It’s an opportunity for some humility. Be candid about your challenges in the year. Describe how you overcame them or the steps you will take in the year ahead to address them...Don’t embellish your accomplishments. Think hard about how you choose your ratings for yourself. Your manager will likely want you to support your ratings so be prepared to provide examples of your successes...and examples of your not-so-great performance...Your manager can tell if you rushed your self-appraisal. So take the time needed to do it justice...After all, your self-appraisal is all about you, and you’re worth it! Use all the space/features provided in the form to tell your story...Treat your self-appraisal like a work of art that builds over time. You’ll be much happier with the end result if you give yourself time to reflect and carefully support your self-assessment...use examples to support your assertions, and please, please make sure that you spell- and grammar-check your documents. These are all signs of how seriously you take the process and its importance to you...Your self-appraisal is a crucial component to providing a “complete picture” of your performance. It’s also a key part of self-development. So take the time to reflect on your successes and challenges and your lessons learned. Don’t forget to bring a copy with you to your performance review meeting with your manager to use as a reference!"