Today’s guest post comes from Alex Colon. He blogs at www.therebrandedlife.com. I think every leader will connect with the things he writes about below. Check out the guest post, leave a comment, and head on over to Alex’s blog and show him some love! (If you would like to write a guest post, click here.)
Have you ever had to do an evaluation on somebody? Either for the instructor, the coach, a video game, a computer, or whatever it is – most of us have been asked to evaluate something at some point in time.
It could also be a nerve-racking thing when your boss calls you into his office for his “evaluation” of your performance. This eval often carries the weight of your promotion.
An honest evaluation carries the labor of determining and/or fixing the value of something or someone. It is the process of determining the significance, the worth and the condition of a person or a task by careful consideration of appraisal.
I remember those times (yes, more than once) where I was called into my boss’ office for that evaluation.
On the other hand, I also recall the times when my instructors in college would hand me an evaluation form to evaluate their teaching skills and performance. I took advantage of those! It was my turn to make somebody else shake in their boots. I was a nice guy though.
It is vitally important to not only evaluate our performance at work, but also take an inside look and evaluate the condition and the quality of our lives.
Yeah, I know, most people hate doing this. It requires confronting “self” in nearly every area of life. It’s like looking at yourself in the mirror with a critical attitude.
I am constantly evaluating my life, i.e., my motives, intentions, performance, values (my own and those I give to others) and my belief system.
If you want to be a good and strong leader you must go through the process of evaluation.
Evaluating your performance is good, but considering and appraising your motives and your values is yet another thing altogether.
Why?
Because your performance will reveal your value system. Saying it another way: Your performance will be affected by your value system. In other words, your value system will determine the quality of your performance.
Truth is, you do what you do because of whom and what you are.
I remember my grandmother once said to me: “Tell me who you hang around with and I’ll tell you what you are.” An old saying, yes, but very effective in my younger years.
I valued my grandmas’ opinion of me. I highly esteemed her and I didn’t want to disappoint her.
So here are a 3 areas I believe are important to evaluate in order to succeed as a leader in your business, at work, at church or most importantly, at home.
- Evaluating your past
This is one of the most important things you can do in relation to your rebranding. In other words, where did you come from? How has the last 10 years or so of your life been? Are you pleased with where you’ve been in the past? Have you past helped you designed your future?
What are the areas of your past that help you determine the reason why your present looks the way it does, and how your future will look like if no changes are needed?
If changes are needed for a brighter future, then what areas of the past must change in the present in order to affect the future positively?
These are questions that are necessary for a stronger today and a brighter tomorrow.
- Evaluate your present
Not only is it important to know where you’ve been in relation to your values, your convictions, your belief system, your fears, your strengths, dreams and vision, but also, where do you need improvement, adjustment and plain old change?
Where are those areas in your NOW where adjustment is necessary in order to have the right kind of influence or impact in others?
We all are a work in progress. So where and how should you change or simply make those adjustments that can take you to a higher level of influence as a leader, a parent, a pastor, and a friend?
- Evaluate your future.
How would you like your business, your church or your family and friends to be in the future as a result of your input?
Before you can answer that question, three more important questions must be dealt with:
Who would like to be in the near future different than you are today?
What would you like to see yourself doing a year from now?
Where in life would you like to be five years from now?
These questions are not in relation to production, as much as they are in relation to your character, your heart, your desires, your passion and position in life.
It is interesting to note that in order to develop a vision for your future, you must adequately know your past. In other words, evaluate your past, present and future.
This process takes work, but it is essential to the rebranding of our lives. If you don’t know how to get somewhere, you must find directions. Meanwhile, you can’t get adequate directions if you don’t know your starting point – your point of reference. This is where this step of evaluating will make a big difference in your rebranding journey.
Take the initiative. Take these steps seriously and move forward with the real YOU! It is about you, but not for you. Your efforts; the fruit of your labor is yet for others to enjoy.
People want to follow leaders that can take them somewhere and leaders they can model after. This is the end-result and purpose to evaluate your leadership development.
Let me give you a secret – the real you is designed to be modeled after in order to help others become who they were designed to be. Something to keep in mind in your leadership evaluation.
Thanks so much Tim. Greatful to contribute.