August 18, 2020
Performance Review is Not a 4-Letter Word
While the words, “performance review,” can strike fear in the hearts of some, a performance review shouldn’t be a negative or something to dread. An annual performance review should promote communication between an employee and their supervisor, and it should be a time of reflection, a time to celebrate success and identify areas for growth.
As busy Extension professionals we often jump to our next program or activity before we’ve barely finished the current one which doesn’t leave much time to reflect. While I grumble as much as anyone about writing accomplishment and impact reports, I’ve always found it time well spent. When I stop to really think about it and compile it all together, I’m usually pleased to see I’ve accomplished so much more than I thought. Even when I didn’t accomplish all that I’d set out to do, it’s been useful to think about lessons learned along the way. If you didn’t accomplish all you set out to do this year, cut yourself some slack. It hasn’t been a typical year by any stretch of the imagination. Let’s all practice grace this performance review season.
More than ever, 2020 will be a time to celebrate success and learn from our trials. Your impact reports will be read and be used to report our collective impact to our state and national stakeholders.
Performance reviews are also a time to take stock in your knowledge and skills. Are you keeping up with the latest in your program area? Do you need a push to embrace new technology? Are you stuck in a programming rut? If you and your supervisor have identified opportunities for growth, embrace your professional development plan to make it happen. Challenge yourself through performance goals to continually raise the standard of excellence for KSRE.
The performance review system is now available, and the October 1 reporting deadline is just six weeks away. Get started now to avoid last minute panic! There are several resources available to help agents complete performance reviews which Laurie Chandler highlights in her article this week.