Ops Insights #011 Track Your Praises
June 16, 2023 | Read Time: 2 minutes | Written by Jenny Kleintop
Time goes fast and it’s hard to remember what you accomplished last week, let alone last month or even last year. One day you will be ready to make your case for a promotion, a new role, or a new initiative. It speaks greater volumes when you have others singing your praises for you.
When the time comes, you can of course ask for a letter of recommendation from others or ask others to speak on your behalf. This will work for some and for others, it may be hard to ask for. In either case, it will make your case stronger if you have both. Let’s prepare you as you move along in your role.
Start to keep track of any praises that come your way. In the data and operations world, it’s not always straightforward. There are quantitative metrics you can track and report, which we will talk about in another issue of Insights. For today, let’s focus on how to track the qualitative and narrative praises you receive.
What to Do
Anytime you receive positive praises, keep track of them. An easy way to do this is to either take a copy of the praise and save it in a manila folder or PDF the praise and save it to a thumb drive or personal online drive. Find one go-to location so it becomes an easy habit for you to do each time you receive one.
Wherever you save these praises, make sure you can access them away from the office. You never know when your email or office may get shut down unexpectedly.
Examples to Track
Emails where colleagues talk about a good job you did on a task, project, or initiative.
Performance reviews and annual appraisals.
Award nominations, certificates, and even a picture of any memento you receive for a job well done.
Cards, letters, or hand-written notes you receive stating how much of a difference you have made.
Here’s a real-live example…
Bonus Reason to Track Your Praises
Whenever you are overwhelmed, under-water, or need a pad on the back… pull out that folder and read away.
Always remember, just because you are not the fundraiser making the ask doesn't make you any less important. You matter, they matter, everyone matters as it takes a team to bring in the wins.
Now go create your go-to place to track your praises. One day, when our paths cross, I’d love to read through those praises with you.
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