Evaluation Series II: CAREER/BUSINESS

Good day friends! In the first part of this series, we turned on the ignition of this Vehicle of Evaluations and drove through the relationship corner. I strongly believe that each of us is becoming more intentional with our relationships.

In this part, we shall consider the need to evaluate our CAREER/BUSINESS growth.
Let’s not forget John Wooden’s words: “Without self-evaluation, failure is inevitable”. I agree that I’m not a career/business coach in any sense of it, but I’ve taken time to research some few areas we need to address as individuals. I do not promise to offer the pieces of best advice in town, but I hope you’ll find the thoughts I share to be helpful.

Let’s consider another set of SEVEN QUESTIONS that can guide you in this area of evaluation…

QUESTION 1: What could I have done better this year?

This is an important question you need to ask yourself and find answers to. It’s not only about “what you have done badly” but equally about “what you did well”. If you agree with me that there is no limit for improvement, then you will understand the indispensability of this question.

QUESTION 2: What am I selling?

Money is referred to as “currency” because it flows – from buyers to sellers. What exactly are you selling? Is it knowledge, product, service, or talents/skills? What problems are you solving? Having a clear understanding of what you’re selling will help you understand the nature of your audience and where you can find them. It’ll also help you to invest in strategic and targeted advertisements.

QUESTION 3: What are my strengths and weaknesses?

As a business person, entrepreneur, or career person, you need to identify your real strengths so you can amplify them, and also your weaknesses so you can work on them.

QUESTION 4: Do I get feedbacks from clients?

Ken Blanchard quoted, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” Ultimately, we cannot ignore the nature of feedbacks we get from people who pay us for services we render or products we sell. 

“There is only one boss – The Customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” ― Sam Walton. Viewing this quote in the right perspective will help us understand the danger of having unsatisfied customers. Bill Gates’ words come handy here: “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

QUESTION 5: What is my financial strength?

You need to evaluate how well you’re making steady and increasing income. It’s not enough for your income to come in steadily, you have to ensure it’s increasing. What value do you need to add to your product/service so you can drive higher sales and probably command higher prices? How do I handle my income and reinvest them back into my art? What plans do I have to create other streams of income? Friends, find answers to these questions!

QUESTION 6:  How valuable am I?

Are you a pedestrian in your business/organization or you’re becoming a force to reckon with? What knowledge or skill do you need to acquire to improve your rating in your organization/field? How relevant and visible are you making yourself? How are you growing your influence in your industry?

QUESTION 7: What about my goals?

What goals did you set for your business/brand/career in the beginning of this year? How far with them? If you’ve not achieved them all, don’t beat yourself. Organize, don’t agonize. Have you set your goals for 2020? Get back to your drawing board and be strategic about goal setting.

Friends, evaluate your career/business growth and re-position yourself for better growth next year. In the next part, we will evaluate our personal development.

Victor Fawole is the Director and Thought Leader at TheAsegunProject. You can reach him via theasegunproject@gmail.com or +2348131048604