Ones Performance Review and Thinkin’ ‘Bout Dem Goals

The yearly performance self evaluation is really my nemesis. Or splinter in my career. The self-reflection of ones work, contribution, goals, skills..ugh. It’s so challenging for me and probably an area I should re-design. Hmmmm, yes re-design my own habits of weekly/monthly reflection so the next years review isn’t so painstakingly climbed. Side-note to self.

What really should I be looking at? My skill set? I guess. My accomplishments? Yes, for sure. But what else? And what do I proclaim I’m going to do this fresh and upcoming year?

1) Tools on your tool-belt.

Most of the time we get very comfortable in our (Corn on the Cob) hard skillsets we use. I know I fought moving to Sketch (Design Tool), mentally anyway, for as long as my team allowed me to. Whyyyy? Why move to some bright and cheery new tool when my dependable, sturdy and comfortable app still works great? Oh, to stretch myself. To be on trend. Well, I love Sketch now. And when we decided to move to Figma it wasn’t nearly the mental hill as previously administered. Mole hill, maybe. So there you go, learn a new skill, tool or process and don’t drag any baggage with it.

Design Skills

Design is pretty broad. Everyone is stronger in some area and weaker in others. My wheelhouse is not visual design. I believe to be a connoisseur of fine visual design but have yet to master that skill. I generally need to spend a little extra time with as many iterations as necessary. So I challenge myself, personally, by doing daily drawings or 50 day projects that push me to think visually. Perhaps you struggle with thinking about a UI flow or creating use cases or personas. You could practice something similar for wireframing, prototyping, creating user stories etc.

Design Tools

We all know there are a lot of different types of design tools, from apps to programming languages to physical tools. While I love trying new tools (because t’s interesting to see how different apps solve the same problem) I’m not in-love with the ramp-up of recreating assets. Hence, me dragging my feet when we moved to Sketch. Still what if you find the new love of your life?

Design Processes

Process is almost as broad as design itself. I just decided that I could fine-tune how I think about this review process and how I could streamline it for myself next year. Take a look at all needle-in-a-haystack areas in your team, your work flow, your business or your life. Notice where the difficulties lay and see if you can adjust to make things go more smoothly. I sure hope next year my review process does!

2. Work on those Soft Skills

Everyone knows that design is only half of your job. You’ve also got to be a decent human being (while understanding your job and others' place in it). My bit on mushy-peas.

3. Have a Non-Core Project

This is absolutely my favorite. I mean, this is my wheelhouse. I have more personal side projects than you can shake a stick at (idiom 5). But what about a side gig at work? A non-core project that stretches you and helps your team? Job? Company?

Redesign an Existing Tool

Almost every company has some internal tool, and they are rarely well designed. Offering to help is a chance to practice designing something you don’t normally get to, and it can be an opportunity to practice leadership.

Create a Resource

When we started using Sketch I spent a weekend building a lot of our interface elements. What a job. I know there are resource areas that are not asset driven. Do you have a design process that isn’t documented? Document it. Design principles? White them down. Icon library? Catalog them. Oh the places you will go.

Conferences, Ted-talks, Read, Read, Read

Non-core stuff at it's best.

So Lisa, how’s that next year review process going to work for you?

• Friday bullet points to myself. Things I did/didn’t do/could have done differently or better.
• I have monthly reviews with my boss. Hey boss, how am I doing? Open up the dialog to all that other non-design work that may be missed. Ask for advice.
• Do a monthly round-up: take 1 and 2, summarize and document.

By the time the fiscal year has ended I should have some good stuff to copy/paste.... and one splinter removed.