Early on in my career, performance reviews – designing, giving, receiving and everything else about them – filled me with dread and dissatisfaction. I was always worried. Was my own work perfect enough? Was I managing others effectively? Was the process and feedback fair and actionable? And yet as an employee, manager and coach I have seen how all that worry, all that work, rarely resulted in the kind of support or direction we need for real growth and change.
While performance reviews can be helpful in providing structured feedback and assessing progress, they rarely provide the kind of insights needed to be effective.
But practices do.
To meet needs that performance reviews did not fulfill, I developed a series of practices to cultivate the deep self-reflection, growth and inspiration that enables us to bring our best.
Practice Fundamentals - A practice or set of practices are unique to each of us but share a few key fundamentals.
A practice is doable, specific and buildable - There is a focus and, with repetition, comes improvement.
A practice is an opportunity for learning, not assessment - A practice is not performative, it is not for others. It is for you; your own learning and growth.
A practice provides its own feedback, not the feedback of others - Feedback may come from the activity, the process of practice or an increase in complexity.
A practice is instructive but not instruction - A practice can be done alone or with others but there is no hierarchy, no teacher.
A practice that cultivates presence helps us become more aware, insightful and better at whatever we do. And while there are many (including spiritual) practices to choose from, below are some of my own practices I use as an executive coach and, when relevant, share with clients.
CliftonStrengths - Every coach needs to practice what they preach and for me that is the ongoing work of knowing, owning and applying talents in work and life. I have my own coach (hi @Charlotte Blair!) who asks me the hard questions and models ways I can show up for my own clients. I am always learning (#Input) – seeking out new ideas (#Ideation) in podcasts, books, articles, videos and conversations – to integrate into my coaching (#Individualization), facilitation (#Activator) and writing (#Communication) practices.
Action - Take time to do a two-minute review of one talent description or engage in a deeper exploration in coaching sessions. Visit gallup.com after taking your assessment to access a wealth of resources including videos, articles and additional practices.
Writing Practice - The writing practice as defined and taught by Natalie Goldberg in her book “Writing Down the Bones” is the cornerstone to my own writing. Goldberg’s approach – timed, prompted writing that is read aloud without comment – quiets “monkey mind” and generates unexpected insights and clarity. I participate in a weekly writing group that uses this method and we each also do a daily 10 minute prompt.
Action - Try ten minutes of continuous writing based on either a prompt or a pressing question.
Walking - While the physical health benefits of walking are more widely known, walking to think - as a pilgrim, a flaneur, a hiker – brings another kind of benefit. The benefit of solving problems, finding ideas, refocusing on what needs to get done. So whether confronted by a roadblock, a tough question or if I have a podcast to listen to or a friend to call, I walk. I walk when the sun is out, when the wind blows and when the snow falls. I walk among trees, down city streets, up mountains and across countries. I walk and always find an answer, perhaps to the question I had asked or a question I had yet to consider. And if not a ready answer, certainly an idea or the energy to focus anew.
Action - Try a ten minute walk around the block in between meetings as an effective refresh; a longer two-hour meander works for deeper thinking.
Gratitude - Gratitude is good for you, a fact I discovered through my own gratitude practice which I restarted during the pandemic. When the world seemed particularly grim, this practice reminded me of what was good and possible, giving me hope and patience in moments of challenge and change. Glimmers, noting small moments of joy, has a similar calming effect as do awe walks. This practice takes less than a minute but serves as an all day reminder.
Action - Take a few minutes to record in your notes app or in texts to a friend, three to five items - people, places, moments, ideas, objects, no limit! - for which you are grateful.
Practices such as these build the ability to be present. Present for others, for yourself and for navigating the kinds of challenges and opportunities that align actions with purpose and talent with performance.
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