Collecting Accomplishments and Exceeding Expectations

Excerpts from Exceeds Expectations: Take Control of Your Performance Review

“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sit back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”

– Leonardo da Vinci, Famous Artist and Scientist

Can you remember what you accomplished earlier today? What about yesterday? How about ten months ago? It is very difficult to recall what has been accomplished over the past year without reminders. In the moment, it is hard to believe we can forget such a stellar accomplishment. Unfortunately, we often forget the most important ones when we are pressed to list our accomplishments for a performance review or job interview or award application. By creating a system for collecting your accomplishments, they are there when you need to share them or compile them for your review. They become easily accessible and easy to recall.

Consider how you will use your accomplishments before deciding which system is best for you. How will you best collect and organize your accomplishments? To better understand your needs, consider the following questions:

Do you need to easily recall accomplishments for an annual performance review or a job interview – a once a year or less regular event?
Do you need to create monthly or regular accomplishment updates for your team, manager or organization?
Do you need concrete examples of your accomplishments for your career development plan, performance review or one-on-ones with your manager or career advisor?
Do you need to be reminded of how valuable you are when you are having a frustrating or bad day?
Are you anticipating or immersed in a job change, career shift or a life change that will be enhanced by documented results?
Are you considering starting your own business and need marketing material accomplishment points?

Accomplishments don’t just happen at work. Your personal, volunteer and educational accomplishments can also have an impact on your work, performance review or job interview. Completing a degree program is a large accomplishment that may not have been financially supported by your employer, but will now support a raise or promotion. Managing a team of 30 volunteers in a non-profit organization will certainly hone your abilities to manage a larger group of employees at the office. Completing a marathon demonstrates your ability to aim high and work toward a long-term goal. Making a presentation to your child’s class about the work you do gives a company valuable marketing exposure because every child may tell their parents about your presentation or the teacher may share throughout his or her network.

Keeping up with all your accomplishments, big and small, can be a challenge with all your daily demands. Once you have defined your needs, it is easier to understand how to collect and organize your accomplishments. Three easy ways to collect your accomplishments include: 1) the accomplishments reservoir; 2) kind words and compliments bin; and 3) curriculum vitae. These are all valuable when you need to recall the details about your accomplishments. A fourth place to collect high-level, less detailed information is your resume. Your resume can serve as a great communication tool to showcase your accomplishment highlights. Of course, each of these tools can be tailored for how you will use them. You may use all of them or some combination of them, maybe storing different information in different places. The key is to collect all of your accomplishments in a way that makes sense for you. Then, when you need it for your performance review, a job interview, an award application or other opportunity, you will have the information readily available.

Tools for Collecting Your Accomplishments

Accomplishments Reservoir: a list, a file folder, a basket, a drawer, an email folder, any mechanism to hold your accomplishments in one place

When to Use: Performance Review, Promotion Opportunities, Award Submissions, Job Applications, Resume Updates
How Often to Update: Minimally monthly so accomplishments aren’t forgotten
Kind Words and Compliments Bin: a physical or electronic file of all the short emails, note cards or other personal notes you receive complimenting you on the work you have done, the help you provided or some other small or large accomplishment you have achieved
When to Use: Mental Lift, Performance Review, Award Submissions, Job Applications, Resume Updates
How Often to Update: As receive them to simply collect rather than delete or forget them

Curriculum Vitae (CV): a very detailed expanded resume not limited in length that summarizes your life history, job history, achievements and skills

When to Use: Award Submissions, Resume Tuning for a Specific Job, Internal Corporate Marketing, Personal Marketing Efforts
How Often to Update: Monthly, or as needed, drop items in as they occur

Resume: a brief, one-to-two page summary of your relevant education and job experience

When to Use: Job Search, Award Applications, Internal Corporate Marketing, Personal Marketing Efforts
How Often to Update: Ideally quarterly, minimally annually