How to conduct your own mid-year review (and plan ahead)

Though some companies don't conduct mid-year reviews, these types of assessments are helpful to ensure your objectives are on track and to become aware of areas where you should improve before your annual evaluation. Plus, having the chance to track how you are progressing can make a huge difference in furthering your goals and professional development. Here are some tips to help you navigate your own mid-year review:

Perform an honest self-assessment
Take some time to critique your own performance – assess your wins and losses, overall business contribution and goals. Be honest with yourself and try to look at it from your manager's perspective. Refer to your past review, taking a fresh look at each factor in detail. Consider questions such as what performance improvements you have made since your last review, what you have accomplished and if you're closer to achieving the goals set out for you this year.

List specific actions you've taken and the results you've achieved – these will eventually be some of the things you can use to show how valuable you are to the company. With a clear idea of your progress, you'll also be able to identify challenges that you'd have to overcome and to have a sense of the support and solutions you need to seek out in order to meet your goals for the year.

Find out how engaged you are at work
Reviewing your performance is important, but it's only one part of the overall picture of your job. You also want to take a step back and think about how engaged and connected you are with your work, your team and your company as a whole. Feeling engaged at work can have an immediate effect on your productivity and morale making, you more energized, focused, and motivated.

However, if this is something that you are struggling with, you may want to discuss what help you may need from your manager to support your ongoing success and development.

Prepare for hard truths
Everyone has room for improvement. No matter how well you're doing, you have to prepare yourself for critical feedback. After all, you can't grow as a professional if you don't know where you're currently falling short. Have a think about what mistakes or negative areas could come out during this discussion and how will you address them. If and when you're faced with a critical evaluation of your performance, listen and do your best to absorb what's being offered. Ask questions to gain clarity, digest the information and come back with some solution ideas.