Mid-Year Check In by Cindy Stradling CSL, CPC

It seems hard to believe, but 2021 is almost halfway over. For many businesses, companies, organizations, and agencies, there has been a shift in work from home and working in the office, with an increasing focus on having employees spend some part of the work in their traditional workplace.

Other businesses and companies have decided to maintain a remote workforce or even close the doors of their organization and work entirely on a remote basis. This structural change is largely a factor of the size of the business and the type of industry and product or service provided.

At the same time, many businesses are seeing an uptick in demand for their products and services, particularly as restrictions are lifted across the county. While predictability about the future is still challenging, this is the ideal time to review your annual goals and see if you are hitting critical milestones along the way.

The Mid Year Review

If you are working with a mentor or coach, walking and talking someone through your milestones and accomplishments is a great idea. Preparing for these discussions helps to focus on what you have completed and what still needs to be done in the next six months.

A mid-year review is a strategic way to avoid the last quarter crunch to try to complete goals. It is also a good time to evaluate what aspects of the annual goal plan may be able to move into the stretch goals category. For some people, stretch goals are built into the original professional development plan. However, even if you originally did not create stretch goals, this is the perfect time to provide a bit more challenge and to test your ability to go beyond what you originally thought possible.

Reality Testing

It is common to have some areas of development that may be slightly off of the plan. This may happen due to unforeseen circumstances, including ongoing issues with the pandemic.

The mid-year review is not just to set stretch goals; it is also to realty-test and adjust your goals. Making these adjustments to accommodate for the reality of what you are doing on a day-to-day basis provides a better foundation for sustained professional growth.

For many leaders in organizations of all sizes, it is difficult to find time for professional reflection and assessment. However, this is a critical part of ongoing growth and development. It also creates a deeper personal commitment to meeting your goals and making the changes you want to see.