On the Job: Track Your Progress

I assume that most libraries these days conduct performance reviews of their employees and/or departments. If you're like me, when it comes to self-assessment, it's hard to remember what you've completed/done/achieved in the past year.

The year flies by, projects come and go, and so much "stuff" is written, read, and shared that your brain is all a jumble. I dislike self-assessments because it forces me to recall things and then I'm never sure if I'm remembering them correctly. Today's On the Job is advice I'm going to start following myself - track your progress.

If you know your organization conducts yearly self-assessment, never kid yourself into thinking you'll remember what you've done. The year is too long for that; the projects too many. Instead, every time you complete research, a project, milestone, goal, or other measurable thing write it down. Your documentation does not have to be complicated. It just serves as a reminder to yourself that this is what you did with a date of completion. That should be enough to jog your memory when it comes to writing your self-assement.

Tracking your work can be beneficial in other ways as well. A list of activities can show how you spend your time and if you need to change your work to focus on different priorities. If you track how you completed these activities, you may be able to discern how to streamline workflows and/or policies. In this age of technology, you might find that you have an argument for teleworking or flexible scheduling. When you track what you do (and why), you'll have a better understanding of your job, role in the organization, and where your time and energy go.

As a bonus, if you find yourself going beyond your job requirements or expectations, you will have documentation to support a request for a raise, title change, or other benefit increase. A little documentation never hurt anyone.

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