Professional Behaviour - EvaluateOwn Personal Performance

Case study

Rose, a career practitioner, is still relatively new to the field. After seven months of providing career information to individuals and groups, Rose notices that many of the students she had initially assisted have requested to work with a different practitioner. Rose is upset, and speaks to her senior about the situation. Her senior suggests that Rose conduct a self-evaluation of the services she provided to the students who left. Rose is hesitant, believing it to be a waste of time, but eventually agrees.

Upon reviewing her notes and the student evaluation forms completed at the end of every session, Rose realises just how many errors she made. Students had said that, in sessions with Rose, her conduct and the way she spoke to them — "instructing" them on what would be best — made them feel small and incapable of making their own decisions. Rose had not realised she had been doing this, let alone that it was hurting the students she was trying to help. She understood, in that moment, that her behaviour, manner and style needed to change. Rose sought advice from fellow practitioners for tips on improving her techniques to better suit her students. She is glad she was able to identify and correct her mistakes, and realises she would not have been able to do so without conducting a self-evaluation.

What is an evaluation? What is a self-evaluation?

An evaluation is the process by which the effectiveness of a service is determined. It is a vital tool for any practitioner.

Self-evaluation, by contrast, is the process by which a person examines their own strengths, weaknesses and skills. Using evaluation tools with clients is commonplace — but what about practitioners? Should practitioners evaluate and assess the quality of the service they provide?

Despite the recognised usefulness of evaluation in practice, whether practitioners should self-evaluate their own services remains a grey area for some. Many practitioners feel that self-evaluation and self-reflection would benefit their practice and skill set, and some have gone as far as developing their own mechanisms for self-assessment and self-reflection within their private practices.

What is the purpose of self-evaluation in a career practice?

Self-evaluation is beneficial because it involves reflecting on the work you have done — looking at a client's situation from the start to the present, and at their progress along the way. This helps identify which strategies worked and which did not, for the client's benefit. Self-evaluating your own work also helps a practitioner identify training or skills gaps.

There are several benefits to self-evaluation:

- It makes the practitioner aware of their own abilities, and can be viewed as a way of increasing confidence in the areas in which they are most skilled.

- It brings errors made or said during a session to the practitioner's attention, allowing them to correct these quickly.

- It can highlight areas in which the practitioner may need additional training, providing direction for future professional development.

- Self-evaluating a programme allows a practitioner to modify and adapt it to better suit their clients' needs.

- Regular self-evaluation reminds practitioners of their strengths and unique abilities, which is useful when drafting cover letters and CVs and helps a person stand out from other candidates.

How can I conduct an evaluation?

An evaluation can be thought of as a series of specific activities carried out together. A basic evaluation has nine steps:

1. Decide the purpose of your evaluation. Ask yourself: what are you evaluating, and why?

2. Determine and identify your stakeholders. Stakeholders are the people who want the evaluation carried out, those who want to know its findings, and those who want to take part in the process.

3. Decide what you want to evaluate. This can be broken down into four areas or themes: experience (the client's experience), impact (what impact did the advice or session have?), service management (factors such as budgeting and personnel), and strategic planning.

4. Choose the data methods and tools you wish to use. Decide on the methods and tools most appropriate for your evaluation.

5. Plan the data collection and collect the data. Ask questions such as: what is the best time for this evaluation, who will plan the process, and who will collect the data?

6. Analyse the data. A few things to remember when analysing data:

   - Relate your data back to the purpose of your evaluation — this will answer the questions you had before you started.

   - Try to identify gaps in your data, which might indicate that more research is needed.

   - Involve others in the analysis, to bring fresh ideas and perspectives.

   - If your data shows the service you rendered was viewed unfavourably, don't panic — look for solutions and new ways of doing things.

7. Present your findings. Common ways of presenting findings include a presentation, a written and oral report to stakeholders, or a detailed written report.

8. Use the findings. One of the most important parts of an evaluation is acting on its findings — the process is pointless if the findings are not put into practice.

9. Review the evaluation process and decide on future actions. Ask questions such as: Did the evaluation achieve its aim? If not, why not? Did you collect enough data? Did you use the right measurement tools? Was enough time allowed for the evaluation?

Considerations when conducting a self-evaluation

1. Motivation. As a career practitioner, what is your motivation? Are you focused on helping others? Does this motivation come through in your work with clients?

2. Client-centred practice. Does my work focus on the client? What changes can I make to sharpen that focus?

3. The foundation of my relationships. Are my relationships with clients and colleagues based on respect, the best interests of my clients, and hope?

4. Understanding. Do I take the time to understand what my clients are saying? Do I truly listen? How can I improve my understanding and listening skills?

5. Staying current. Am I up to date with current practices and developments in career development? Am I focused on furthering my skills and techniques, and diversifying my thinking as often as I can?

6. Self-care. If I am close to burnout, what resources do I have to replenish myself so I feel motivated in my work again?

7. Joy. Am I able to feel joy? Am I able to laugh freely and regularly?

8. Understanding of self. Do I represent my skills and experience accurately? When I am unable to help a client, do I refer them to someone more suitably qualified to assist them?

9. Feedback loop. Do I seek professional advice from colleagues in areas I am less familiar with? Can I take responsibility for my actions?

10. Ethics. Do I follow all the ethical rules expected of a practitioner?

Conclusion

Self-evaluation is highly beneficial to a practitioner when used correctly. Despite being viewed somewhat negatively by some, self-evaluation as a tool can draw a practitioner's attention to areas that need improvement. If self-evaluation can enhance your skills as a practitioner, why would you avoid it?