Best Practice

It is the time of year to get yourself ready for year-end review, self evaluation and an honest look at where you are currently at on your career path in relation to your stated goals.

We all know it is easy to get off-track with how busy things are day-to-day and week-to-week within our jobs. Now is the time to sit down with a pen and paper to review the highlights of last year. And I stress “highlights”.

Sit down, take a few deep breaths and clear your mind. Now, write down what you’ve Achieved, Accomplished and Contributed over the past year – whether you were recognized for it or not.

All too often we fill ourselves with things we are unhappy with. We allow ourselves to get off-track; to focus on things we don’t have - instead of things we do.

Have you considered that your boss and the others you work with are just as human as you are? And that they are just as sensitive to their own shortcomings and just as challenged to come up with their highlights for the year?

“A best practice” in career self management is to recognize and acknowledge yourself, recognize and acknowledge those who work for you, and recognize the contributions and acknowledge the people who you report to.

Never forget rule #1 of self management: “We are always doing the best we can based on what we have to work with.”


Rick Marshall
President of Marshall Career Service

November 29, 2011