I recently had my yearly review at work. I was definitely nervous for it, because really, who enjoys those awkward feedback scenarios with your superiors. But in reality, it wasn’t all that bad. However, as I sat back and reflected on the feedback I received, I realized that it was all extremely applicable to twentysomethings out there.
So, my fellow twenty-somethings out there killing it in the workforce, perhaps you’ll see yourself in one of these pieces of feedback and adjust and realize you too might be falling victim to one of these common practices.
1. Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.”
Our generation is very good at having all the answers — whether we really have them or not. I feared that telling my boss I didn’t know how to do something or didn’t know the background behind a certain topic was a sign of weakness or lack of initiative. On more than one occasion, I know that I’ve feigned knowledge initially, only to do my research later on. But coming out of my review, I learned that really the opposite is true — Asking questions or saying “I actually don’t know how to do this/what this is, will you tell me more?” is a sign of strength, and you will be respected for it.
2. Take that extra step…
Often my day is consumed with email after email, meeting after meeting, project deadline after project deadline. I will try to get as much done as possible and deliver on every little thing that is placed in front of me, which is good, but my boss reminded me to take that extra little step in each thing I tackle. It’s okay to spend a few extra minutes making sure that I have fully closed the loop on every deliverable, every task. Making sure I go the extra mile, and not stopping at 95%. Sometimes we have so many things going on that it’s easy to write a project off as complete, but it’s important that we stick with it to the very bitter end.
3. …While remembering to take a step back
On the same note, sometimes we get so wrapped up in the details and in the nitty gritty of projects that we forget to look at the bigger picture. Sometimes we forget why we’re actually doing xyz for the client, why this certain piece of the puzzle needs to get done, why what we’re doing really matters for the end result. Even though we need to be focused on those small details, we can’t forget to take a step back and view everything as a whole.
For my own sake, I’ll note that there were several positives to my review too, (and so when my Dad reads this he won’t think I’m failing miserably at my job) but I figured that by focusing on my areas of improvement, we can all improve together.
Have you received feedback at your job that you think all twenty-somethings can learn from? Share below!
The post 3 Things I learned In My Review At Work appeared first on Twenty Something Living.