The end of the year at many corporations signifies time for the generally dreaded employee performance reviews. I dislike completing mine because it feels like a waste of time because my employer does not ask the right questions nor care about my responses. It tends to feel like a formality and not an opportunity actually grow and improve. If I receive feedback, sometimes it is not helpful as it is generic and does not provide the tangible constructive criticisms that allow me to learn and grow and do better in the coming year. The corporate review period tends to be time-consuming for little reward.
However, I do like the idea of them when they are conducted correctly by both the manager and employee. I tend to do something similar but less formal in my personal life because I believe in self-reflection and self-analysis in order to grow and become a better version of myself. It is also good to call yourself out and do a deep dive into who you are and where you are going throughout the year.
I believe in “Checking your intention. Focus on your actions. Leave the outcome to Allah.” Since creating Black Seedlings in 2017, I had not spent the necessary time focusing on my actions but I have been busy worrying and spending negative thoughts about the outcome. In order to refocus my attention and actions, I needed to create a performance review for Black Seedlings. This review will help me reevaluate if I’m meeting my current goals but also for me to determine what areas need more focus. I started by reviewing the list of goals/promises made earlier this year. Then I developed a Plan of Action (POA) for multiple ideas or practices that I need to work on. I want to celebrate accomplishments because it builds momentum, and gives me a positive outlook as I focus on what I accomplished versus what I did not.
This POA has been broken into three sections: (1) End of the year reflections (2) Stepping into 2019 (3) Feedback. I include a feedback section because I wanted to hear from you, the readers. In order for Black Seedlings to continue to grow, providing constructive criticism is important as it helps me to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
End of the year reflections
- What did Black Seedlings accomplishment over the past year?
The first post on BlackSeedlings.com was published in February 2017; however, I did not start posting regularly until January 2018. Currently, there have been 17 posts, 9 Harvest newsletters and a solid group of readers. Two posts were picked up by Amaliah, which is a media company for Muslim Women.When I started Blackseedlings.com, I had never used WordPress or created a website. This year, I redesigned the website to make it easier to navigate. I also used my budding technical skills to send out the semi-monthly newsletters.
- Which goals fell short?
My initial goal was to post at least twice a month; however, due to time constraints from family/work obligations, I did not meet this goal for the months of June (0), October (1), November (0) and December (1). - How do I plan on not repeating the same mistakes?
I learned that I need to spend additional time reviewing my calendar to ensure the appropriate time is set aside not only for social media and website development for Black Seedlings but also for writing the posts. In addition, for months where I may have competing activities I need to enlist a guest blogger to ensure Black Seedlings content is new and fresh. - In which area(s) would I like to improve?
I need to improve my planning and organizing, which includes setting priorities and adjusting them as needed when unexpected situations arise. One of the reasons why I struggled to reach the twice a month posting goal is because I’m dealing with imposter syndrome.
Stepping into 2019
- What new habits or skills can I cultivate to help Black Seedlings achieve its goals? What are the next steps to achieve these goals?
Over the next 3-4 months, I plan on working to improve my time management and organizational skills by implementing a blogging schedule. To better my writing skills, I plan on taking a few courses online. To increase my technical skills, I need to learn more coding including HTML, which will allow me to tweak and troubleshoot my WordPress site without pulling my hair out. As this blogging arena is new to me, I want to find a mentor for support and guidance. This person has already walked this path and is willing to share tips/guidance. Also, so I can talk about my challenges with imposter syndrome, someone who understands. - What 2-3 things will I focus on in the next quarter to help Black Seedlings grow and develop?
The number one focus is to ensure Black Seedlings content is new and relevant with more interviews and guest bloggers. Also, I’d like to increase the readership and its engagement with giveaways and Harvest Book club.
Feedback
1. What are two to three things Black Seedlings can do differently?
2. In general is there anything about Black Seedlings that you would like to see improved?
