you on you

The painter in you will find the new canvas intimidating. The writer in you will find the blank sheet of paper intimidating.

The manager in you will find the immaculate-white background of the email client window intimidating ... it is supposed to hold the yearly evaluations of your directs, instead it's blank. Where to start you're asking?

Meet self evaluations: I am finding them to be the easiest way to kick off the employee evaluation process. Is it as simple as you asking your directs for their own perspective on their accomplishments, contributions but also on unmet goals and targets over the past year. (in the Romanian immature corporate culture we sometimes call the latter bad things).

Give them time to think.

Then add your own observations - you should have observed them and taken notes throughout the year. Then add the others' feedback to the mix: team members, customers, other managers that happened to interact with your guy. Then look for some facts, in your project plan, bug tracker, emails, reviews.

That's it ... fully armed now to conquer that white background!