Last week I wrote about the year-end performance assessment - that’s your performance against the job. But how about an independent self-assessment to see how you are placed against your competition? The new year 2017 is just around the corner and you have got your mind on celebrations already.
A well deserved break from work and hectic routine life is there to be enjoyed. Give yourself the best treat you can ever imagine. Enjoy all the emotional feelings that go with it.
Life doesn’t end with year-end celebrations. You will encounter more competition as an individual and find the environment tougher in the New Year and you have to be prepared to face that challenge. Make your process of rejuvenation satisfying and meaningful.
It’s a good idea to take time off during your vacation to reflect on your knowledge, skills and competencies to understand and comprehend which areas need further sharpening to be a more successful person.
Skills audit
Go back over your most complete resumes with a fine tooth comb and unearth all the knowledge, skills, and competencies you possess. Many people go blank when you ask them about their skills.
Sometimes, it is easier to work backwards from what you have done, to work out what you are good at. This is where a job analysis can help. An alternative strategy is simply to sit down and make a list of what you are good at. This will come easier to some than to others. Simply start writing.
You already know at least some of the things you are good at. You’ll find there are some skills you feel very confident with and others where you think you can do ‘a bit’. Don’t be shy – this is not an exercise where you can be bashful. Be proud to list what you do well.
You will come up with some skills without any prompting, but there will be many more. Review whether your ‘top’ skills are the ones you want to use the most. Make a note of any skills you really enjoy using, but need to develop further.
A personal skills audit of what you have done outside of work can be very revealing and help you to value the skills you have gained from all areas of your life. You may find that there are skills you have developed that you don’t give yourself credit for.
For example, you may be the coach for a local volleyball team – using skills such as leadership, motivation, encouragement, training etc. If you really enjoy this, but do not hold a management or team leadership role at work, this might suggest that this could be a new direction for you in your career as you already have many of the skills you need.
Career change?
The ultimate value in learning how to perform a personal or business skills audit is in the opportunities you now give yourself by recognizing what you have achieved already.
Your confidence will receive a boost when you see what you are capable of. Performing such an audit also helps you identify growth areas that might be holding back your business or career. If you are contemplating a career change, then you need to build up a detailed understanding of your strengths and talents.
If you are clear on this, then you can assess career ideas with your skills and strengths in mind. Work which allows you to do what you are good at, will be more fulfilling for you and your employer too may be more happy with the results you produce. If you don’t get to use your favourite skills much, maybe that is what is prompting you to look for a change. Career change success depends on you making a reasonable match between your skills and the demands of the job you switch to.
Hopefully, after doing the personal skills audit you will begin to see how an awareness of your skills affects the way you approach your career change. Knowledge without skills is of no use – its skills that convert knowledge into value.
Even at the height of celebrations you will still have space for this assessment. If you use that space and do it right, you can have better celebrations by the end of 2017.