Self Evaluation

Self Evaluation

The United States Air Force has a tagline. “Aim High”. If you want to be successful, you have to reach for the things that seem to be above and beyond your grasp. The Army, “Be all you can be”. When you strive to achieve your full potential you will discover success. Marines “The Few, The Proud”. Not everyone has the discipline, courage, or fortitude to achieve success. Navy “Forged by the sea” Your environment is a key element in shaping your future. Finally, the Coast Guard. “Make a difference on land, sea or in the air”. You can make a difference no matter what your situation, your environment or position.

As with any journey, before it begins you must start with an inventory of things that you need in order to endure all the situations you will encounter along the way. The first being what you already have available. Take personal inventory, be brutally honest and have an understanding that you are missing some key items, elements and knowledge. You will earn and learn what is missing along the way.

The journey to leadership is not an easy path to travel, you will need to have a solid foundation to hold the course and reach your objective. Take the following into consideration as you perform your self evaluation. Do you have a desire to move ahead in your career and personal life? Are you motivated to push yourself forward to improve your situation? When the journey becomes tough will you have the determination to keep going to better yourself? Will you maintain a “Can Do”, “Will Do” attitude? Can your ego handle asking someone for help and to be your mentor? No matter how uncomfortable the path and road seems, will you be dedicated to exploring new ideas and methods to embrace the quest for knowledge? These questions should be approached honestly. But don't despair. If you are lacking in any of these areas, you can have comfort in knowing that all of these items are learned disciplines. Some items may not be there yet. But if you have the will power for personal change, then you will overcome any shortfalls.

At this point there is an evaluation that must be performed about your personal performance in relation to your career. Are you an outstanding performer in your current position? Have you been an asset to your department? Ask yourself, “Am I providing extra value for the customer, my coworkers and the company? Is there a willingness to take some career development risks? How much are you willing to invest in yourself? Have you been going to your department manager with input and ideas in relation to improving your department?

Self Assessment and Competence in your position is not enough. You must communicate with your Manager/Supervisor, to seek input and make sure that they take notice of your job performance. Take some career development risks by taking leadership courses offered. Invest in yourself. Remember, there are no guarantees in life. "No Pain; No Gain." Inform your Supervisor/Manager that you are interested in job growth opportunities. Discover and find out how others have advanced in the company.

Finally we will analyze your social interactions. The company you keep will often shape who you are and the way others perceive you. These questions can give you some insight into the quality of your social interactions. When you look at the people you keep company with, are they people who inspire you? Do they encourage you to be successful? Are they people who help motivate you when you get discouraged? This would be the people in your most inner circle, the ones who have the greatest influence on you daily.

When at work do you tend to gravitate towards the people who complain and downgrade the company, or do you find those who have a positive outlook, working enthusiastically on solutions to problems, embracing change? Are you inspirational to others who are struggling? Do you encourage a team environment?

The point to evaluating your social interaction is to keep tabs of those who you influence and those who influence you. Keeping inventory on your social interactions is key to creating a positive environment for you personally and for those who you interact with on a daily basis. My father used to say “You are what you eat, and you become who you keep.” It took a while before I fully understood the phrase. In fact it took many years and many social mistakes before I connected the dots. Surround yourself with positive, successful people, people that inspire, encourage and have your best interests in mind when you socially interact with them.

The idea behind the self evaluation is to create a baseline for you to begin your journey. Without this baseline there would be nothing to measure your achievements as you travel towards leadership. As you progress through the pages of this book you may want to re-evaluate your baseline, and compare it to today’s evaluation.

Remember to “Aim High”, “Be all you can be”, become part of “The few, The proud”, allow yourself to be “Forged by the sea” and “Make a difference on land, sea or in the air”. No matter what your situation, your environment, or position, you can make a difference!