Performance Review Time

It is actually pass the time when my annual review is due. With a new outside management parent company things have been crazy. Since I am planning to NOT spend any raise and just apply it to our debt snowball, it really isn't like I "Have" to have a review now...I just want to get it over with.

I am one of the lucky few that gets and gives reviews...middle management my boy, middle-management :) However I thought that I would give some tips for being on both sides of the review desk. I have had tips on your career before, but this post is aimed at helping you during that once a year love-fest.


Tips for the reviewee:

• Document any and all victories - Throughout the year keep a $2 journal of all the things that you accomplished...do not be shy or humble. The ones that can document and show their value get the raises intended for the humble!
• Before your Boss writes your review - Make sure you get the information to him/her. If you format is the way reviews are done, by strength type, all the better. Bosses are people too and will use a lot of what you said if you provide it. Hopefully this leads to a more positive review, unless you are a horrible writer :)
• Push if you can, Pull if you must - Set a level of expectation to your salary requirements. You'll be surprised how much a, "Hope we are least looking at 5%, Bob!" Will go. First off it will gauge their reaction. If he answers, "Not likely" ask why and be prepped to go over your best points verbally. Even if you don't get 5%, you will set an expectation level of which Bosses are loath to break unless they have too. So give them a nudge up, or even a slight pull, but...
• Don't Threaten Everyone - Unless you are prepped to walk, greenmail is very tricky and you can wind up begging for your job back at a lower rate...I have seen it happen!
• Don't be defensive, but ask for clarification - If points come up that surprise you, like you think your productivity is high, but your Boss feels it is low, ask for direct example clarification and be prepared to have counter examples. This has to be delivered in a frank, non-confortational manner.

For Reviewers:

• Get the review done on time - It is not fair to make someone to wait to know what they got as an increase, which is really the main thing they want to know. You don't like it, so don't do it to others!
• Nothing in the review should be a surprise - If someone is not picking up the slack...tell them now and not a year later. All you did is make sure it didn't get corrected!
• Have weekly one-ones - I try to have weekly one-ones with each of my staff. I have my set questions, but the rest is their time. Whether it is to get me to finally sign the doc they need, or discuss their career path with the company. Want to increase retention and not be blindsided by someone leaving? Do this now! You will separate yourself from 99% of other managers
• Praise twice for every hit- No one feels motivated after a hour beating! Make sure to reinforce the good aspects, if they don't have any...fire them. You are better off with with NO-body than A Body.
• Don't blame other for anything negative - The "I think you are great, but Sara really doesn't like you". Take a stand. This is Your review of them, not their peers, or your bosses.
• Have clear examples of every criticism - if you say they are always late, have it documented. it should go, "Jill, on 14 separate occasions you were late". And have the back-up. Then it is the facts talking and not personal preferences.

The last piece of advise is to try and not take it personal, very few bosses (although I have worked for them) want to hurt or belittle you and usually genuinely want to be of help. Remember we all have two ears and one mouth!

I would also suggest that whatever bump you do receive, you do not start spending it. Forget it ever existed. We are adding ours to our snowball. If you continue to do this you will pay off debts faster, budget and manage your money better, and not get into the trap of spending every dime you make!

ps - The Carnival of Debt Reduction is now running over at My Dollar Plan it feature a special Life / Liberty post!

New York transfer to North Dakota Anyone...

I just passed a year in the new job.

In reality I really should say I returned to my old place of work. You see, I worked there six years ago in another function. It was a tough decision to make for me. I liked my previous job. It had a better title, better perks and a little bit better total pay package. I built the team from five to 14 and for the most part they were really good and I liked them all. The new gig isn't chopped liver either, just a change in trajectory.

So why leave?

This ties to a question that I wrote in http://www.myopenwallet.net/ in response to a Madame X question about living in New York. I twisted it a bit to ask the following:

(For New Yorkers or LA'ers, etc.) Everyone complains about the cost of living in New York or LA, but if you could make the exact same salary (not adjusted at all for cost of living, but dollar to dollar) would you live in Fargo, North Dakota?

The only response laughed me off the page (which I expected). But think for a moment, we are all budget mavens here, you would have 30-50% more disposable income, the day you get there. On top of it I believe there is still no State Income Tax!

This was posed to not mock North Dakota at all, I grew up in Nebraska and love the mid-west...as an adult, not so much as a pre-20 year old! It was really posed to make us think, how much of what we love, would we give up for financial gain.

My answer?

Pretty simple, I packed back up and returned to Oregon 'cause it was better for my family. And you can't put a price on that, can ya...

Then again I paid $200 vs $2500...

When I was a small boy growing up I dreamed of traveling to exotic locations (anywhere seemed exotic compared to Omaha!), flying around the world, seeing all of the amazing sights that I read about.

Well, I have been lucky enough to get to travel as part of my job and in my previous job and a decent percentage of that was International Travel. This included Hong Kong, Paris, London, Barcelona, mainland China, and others...All of my friends,family, wife and kids would say, "You are sooo lucky, I wish my job would send me to 'X'."

Here is the a little known secret, known only to business travelers...Business travel sucks!

Here is what I saw on my first FOUR trips to Paris: The Airport, the train, a hotel room, a conference room at an office building, a train, and airplane...That's it! Never even saw the Eiffel Tower! Maybe if you are lucky you may get a good meal out of it. This is also balanced by no sleep, sometimes goofy local issues like when/where to tip, countries love/hate with American's, people calling you and needing to be available to them on their time zone which could be +/-8 hours from yours.

If Jesus was born this Christmas there is a good chance that the three wise men would be stuck in Chicago O'Hare.

This is really Ronald Reagan's fault :)

Reagan de-regulated the airlines which meant they could charge whatever they wanted for a flight. People were freaked out. Prices were going to go through the roof, little towns around American would be bypassed.

Didn't happen

Today you can fly cross country for $200, if you plan it out right. This is way cheaper than Greyhound used to be. In fact Southwest is the new-millennium Greyhound.

But how does this ties to Business Travel, oh King Whiner?

When the airlines were regulated and the prices really high, people only traveled by plane because it was imperative, or they were rich. (Not to mention people didn't try to blow-up planes with their shoe either) This meant every airline was judged and selected based on service, not price. If the cabins on Eastern sucked, people would take a flight on United for the same price with nicer cabins. Bad food??? I will never fly them again!!!

So at the end of the day I am tired and grouchy from being packed into a Buddy Holly Express flight with the guy from Deliverance drooling on me while the Stewardess...sorry Flight Safety Attendants, whine about giving me a peanut and thimble full of Sprite on a 4 hour flight.

Then again I paid $200 vs $2500 :)...