You've landed a new role and you're eager to show your value and make a positive impact. But how do you measure and communicate your achievements in a way that highlights your skills, aligns with your goals, and impresses your manager and peers? Here are some effective ways to do that.
The first step is to set SMART goals for yourself and your role. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These criteria help you define what you want to accomplish, how you will track your progress, and when you will complete your tasks. SMART goals also help you communicate your expectations and priorities to your manager and team, and show how your work contributes to the overall objectives of the organization.
To measure achievements in a new role, set clear SMART goals, track relevant quantitative metrics, seek qualitative feedback, and benchmark against industry standards. When communicating these achievements, utilize regular check-ins with your manager, employ data visualization tools, and frame successes in a storytelling format, highlighting challenges, actions, and results. Always approach communication with humility, acknowledging team efforts and the collaborative nature of success.
It all starts from before you start. Sound silly? Imagine yourself at the interview for your next role. The employer is running through company culture, their passions, organisational targets, and why your role is so important to them. This moment is pivotal. The more information you can get about your employer before you start, the more aligned you’ll be when you do. Why? Assessing true alignment of your position description with the communicated needs of the business is a gap analysis enabling you to setup a framework for success, proactively contribute to setting improved goals, and agreeing to relevant measurement of your achievements. Now you’re in control of how your performance is measured and aware of true expectations.
Setting SMART goals in the context of a 30-60-90 Day plan is also a great way to make big wins in your first 3 months on the job. Sharing this plan with your manager, or better yet, getting input from your manager is a sure way to hit the ground running!
Additionally It is importante To read the first signs of the culture (eg.if more independent ou dependent) and take good care of how you ser and achieve the goals. How you achieve, celebrate and comunicate matters much more than the speed of the achievement.
1. Set clear goals & objectives with called out success measures along with manager 2. Keep a record of your accomplishments including quantifiable metrics wherever possible 3. Regular Check-ins with manager to discuss progress, share updates, impact of your work and align your goals with org priorities
Once you have your SMART goals, you need to track your results and document your achievements. You can use various tools and methods to do this, such as spreadsheets, dashboards, journals, or portfolios. The key is to collect data and evidence that show how you have met or exceeded your goals, and how you have added value to your role and the organization. You can also include feedback, testimonials, or recognition from your manager, peers, customers, or stakeholders as part of your evidence.
Track your accomplishments through compiling STAR statements. Keep a journal and a folder in your inbox to lig "wins." Keep your career target in mind. I.e. look for accomplishments that support your future, not your past!
Tracking your result is very important, we cannot reach our destination till we keep the track of which way are we headed to. We might be winning but are those smaller wins leading to the ultimate victory that is very important. Draw a milestone chart and track your progress to be the focused achiever!
While functions such as sales have numerical quotas, professionals in operational roles sometimes find it more challenging to quantify their value. Consider how you can use percentages to track and measure results. For example, if a process took two days a month and you automated it to streamline to one day a month, share how you reduced processing time by 50%. Assigning percentages to efficiency improvements can help demonstrate value added.
I use weekly emails that I send out to my manager stating what I have done. Through this, everyone is inline with my efforts and it keeps a log of what I have done over a period of time. Once your annual appraisal / increment / review comes, you would have a concrete database of the impact that you have had over the last 12 months.
Half the battle of measuring achievements is capturing them in the moment. Your memory is more accurate and the longer the delay, the less likely you are to come back to it. To that end, have an easy to access document or app that is cloud based so you can open it regardless of where you are or what device you’re on.
Tracking your results is not enough if you don't communicate your impact to the right people at the right time. You need to share your achievements with your manager and team on a regular basis, such as in weekly or monthly reports, meetings, or check-ins. You also need to highlight your achievements in your performance reviews, self-assessments, or career conversations. When communicating your impact, you should use quantifiable metrics, specific examples, and positive language. You should also link your achievements to the organization's mission, vision, values, or strategy.
Imagine you're an artist. A hidden masterpiece has limited impact. Displayed in a gallery, its brilliance shines. Similarly, tracking results is like creating art; its true value emerges when shared with the right audience at the right time. Consider your achievements as stories. In a book club, you wouldn't just mention reading; you'd delve into the story. Describe your accomplishments using precise metrics and examples, bringing them to life. Connect your tales to the organization's goals. Just as an artist links art to inspiration, tie your work to the broader company vision, magnifying its significance.
It is always good to communicate, especially when the receiver is the person who should know what is the progress on your plan, communicate them the progress regularly. But don't brag or be over- polite be professional and tell them the input, turn around time and output of the step and the current status of achievement. Be clear, concise and precise.
Consider sending a written weekly update to your manager that highlights your big wins from each week. Having this weekly record to refer back to will also make your life much easier when it comes time to do your annual self assessment!
Marketing Yourself Often, people busy to strive hard to deliver can do attitudes with great results. They forget, or unconsciously not doing the communication part : tell or share to the relevant stakeholders. They assume, boss will see, recognise and reward it. Although it is a task of a boss, doesn't mean s/he will always doing it. So, marketing yourself. No one will do unless you start it.
Don't just talk the talk, actually walk the walk. It's easy to list Qualifications or talk about achievements and wax lyrical about "how much work you have done today!" but as the saying goes ' the proof is in the pudding" Your impact will be communicated if the results can be seen. Keep a daily metric record of exactly what's been done that day by each person involved in the project and make sure that for any large-scale projects, you have a Gantt-style implementation plan in place so that you can track exactly who is doing what, when they are doing it and how it is being done. This simple plan can then be displayed to managers in weekly/monthly meetings and they can visually see the progress you are making in the project/ task.
Another way to measure and communicate your achievements is to seek feedback and improvement from your manager, peers, mentors, or coaches. Feedback can help you identify your strengths and areas for development, and improve your skills and performance. You can ask for feedback on a regular basis, or after completing a project, task, or goal. You can also use feedback to set new or revised SMART goals for yourself and your role. When seeking feedback, you should be open-minded, respectful, and appreciative. You should also act on the feedback and show how you have implemented it in your work.
Actively request constructive feedback from colleagues, managers, and clients to gain insights into your strengths and areas needing improvement. Embrace criticism with an open mindset, focusing on actionable steps for enhancement. Consistently apply this feedback to refine your skills and performance. Demonstrating a commitment to self-improvement not only aids personal development but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement within your team and organization.
In my expertise, which is HR, seeking feedback from critical stakeholders in the first few months is highly important. I usually do one to one meetings and get to know them better and openly ask how I’m doing. This also brings trust.. and also encourage other leaders to ask for feedback about their own performance.
I've found that seeking feedback is like having a mirror that reflects not just my face but my skills and performance. Whether it's from my manager, team, or even mentors, this feedback is a goldmine of insights. I usually solicit it either routinely or after wrapping up a significant project, and it helps me adjust my sails—be it setting new SMART goals or tweaking existing ones. What's vital is being open to this feedback and not just collecting it but acting on it, thereby turning advice into tangible improvements. In a nutshell, feedback isn't just informative; it's transformative, and it's one of my most trusted tools for personal and professional growth.
As a leader and manager, conducting regular formal and informal consultations with those who report to you is just as important as those above you. I regularly ask my team what do I need to stop doing, what do I need to start doing and what do I need to continue doing. I also ask them what they complain about to other people and actively set a plan to address these matters openly and without recourse or offense taken, so that my team feel safe to deliver feedback in this manner.
The biggest gift you can get is a constructive feedback. I have experienced many times hearing: You are doing great job no feedback is needed. That is not true. We cannot only critisize andshow mistakes. We need to praise and value others in being specific WHY. Why they are important to us? Why we want to hear about their exprience? How they influenced us? So never stop askign for any feedback that can help you build on what you alreafy have.
Finally, you should celebrate your success and acknowledge your achievements. Celebrating your success can boost your confidence, motivation, and satisfaction. It can also help you build positive relationships with your manager and team, and foster a culture of recognition and appreciation. You can celebrate your success in different ways, such as by rewarding yourself, sharing your story, expressing gratitude, or giving back. Celebrating your success can also inspire you to set new and higher goals for yourself and your role.
Celebrating success is not just a momentary indulgence; it's a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. It's a reminder that hard work pays off and that achievements, big or small, deserve recognition. By celebrating success, one can boost confidence, fuel the motivation to strive for even greater accomplishments, and help in fostering a culture of appreciation. Celebration can vary from one person to another, however, don't hesitate to take a moment to celebrate your successes, both personally and professionally. It's not just about acknowledging the past but also setting the stage for a future filled with even greater achievements.
It's never a bad idea to go "old school" with this... Yes, fewer and fewer people are interested in tooting your horn for you, but still, it is important (an an important aspect of credibility) to let others promote your success and achievements! Sometimes it is still sound practice to keep churning and let others recognize your good work. Keep in mind it is always a red flag when your ONLY celebrations are your own celebrations ;-)
At the end you did it. And you should be proud of it. Shout out! Only you knows what it cost to you. GIve yourself a small treat, self-reflect but also never stop. Keep moving. Take the lessons learnt and keep going. The most exciting thing is actually not achieving the goal itself but all the small things you did in between and all the people you emt along the way. Gain experiences and reflections - not only job titles, promotions and accolades. Put the self-development, humanistic element first - the rest will come with hard work (and maybe some luck).
Share achievements within your team, acknowledging their role. Use concise, enthusiastic language, and consider a small team outing or recognition event to foster camaraderie and a culture of success. Be humble, be inviting and be kind!
Celebrating your triumphs isn't a mere ritual; it's a powerful elixir that nourishes your confidence, fuels your motivation, and bathes your journey in the warm glow of satisfaction. But the magic doesn't stop with you; it ripples outward. Celebrating success knits the threads of positive relationships with your manager and team, weaving bonds of camaraderie and trust. It's the spark that ignites a culture where recognition and appreciation flourish. You can also become a storyteller, sharing your journey as an inspiration to others. Express gratitude to those who supported you on your path, and give back to the community that surrounds you.
Communicate impact, not just activity. Clarify why/in what way your efforts were for the betterment of the business. A helpful model, similar to DMAIC, that I like to use to articulate the value of an achievement is OAI - opportunity, achievement, impact. Pull that together in a brief story or illustration to maximize the value and penetration of the message.
Let your achievements do most of the talking! Everyone is looking to gain attention and they employ various strategies to do so. The best way is to make significant contributions that do all the advertising for you, in some cases well past the date of delivery. This means that you should take careful measures during project selection and really be passionate and ambitious in delivering the results. Remember to always under-promise and over-deliver. This will make the impact have a surprise factor! Once the eyeballs are looking in your direction, you can point to the many auxiliary achievements you feel are noteworthy and wouldn't get attention otherwise. This is also a great moment to shoutout all those that helped you along the way!
Most people only share the highlights and the achievements. If you share your failures and learnings too, you grow your authenticity and trust with your audience and they will be able to relate to the human side of the experiences that you have had in your journey to the successes, that come from inevitably making mistakes.
1.Set Clear Goals:Understand what is expected of you in your role. Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals. 2.Track Your Progress:Keep a record of your achievements, big or small. 3.Collect Feedback:Regularly ask for feedback from your colleagues, managers, and subordinates. 4.Regular Updates:Regularly communicate your progress and achievements to your manager or team. 5.Performance Reviews:Use performance reviews as an opportunity to discuss your achievements. 6.Show Initiative:If you've taken on additional responsibilities or initiated new projects, make sure to highlight these efforts. 7.Highlight Problem-Solving:If you've solved a significant problem or overcome a challenge, share this achievement.
When you add the words “in a new role” to this list of tips, you add important context. What’s unique about communicating your achievements when you are new? For starters, think of what your employer will be looking for - evidence that you were the right hire. Evidence that you have the skills and competencies you promised in your interview. Evidence that you understand the context of the business you are working for, and how your work supports its goals. Those may not be achievements in the traditional sense, but showing evidence that hiring you was the right decision is an achievement for both you and tour organization.