Self-evaluation plays an important role on a personal and corporate level. We’ve all been evaluated by people one way or the other, sometimes their judgments are superficial and dependent on the roles that we play. The truest and unbiased evaluation can only come from oneself that’s if the evaluation process is honest.
The decisions we make most times are transcendent, they can touch other people asides from ourselves. When we evaluate ourselves, it brings about improvements that eventually affect the people beyond us.
What is self-evaluation?
Simply put, self-evaluation is the process that entails judging one’s performance in order to improve it. It requires that you monitor your abilities, actions, and results and also evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in the various aspects of your life.
At certain points in time, it is needful to ask yourself some questions to gain insights and a better understanding of lessons learned during a particular phase or period and ways to march forward as time progress. Apart from asking personal questions, feedback is also a good resource for personal evaluation.
As you plan your self-assessment time, here are some questions you can ask yourself;
- What goals are you most proud of?
- What goals do you wish you could have accomplished?
- What would you have done differently? Looking back
- What things are necessary to achieve your goals?
- What do you need to stop doing?
- What do you need to start doing?
- In what areas have you excelled?
- Where do you need help?
Questions like this are helpful for evaluation because they prompt reflection. It helps the individual know the scope of their abilities and how to improve on them. Implementing self-evaluation in everyday life is essential for growth and productivity. It has also been found to increase leadership skills and learning across various fields.
General benefits of self-evaluation include:
- It gives you insights and helps you set future goals for improvement
- It makes you feel more confident about your abilities
- It helps you develop research aptitude for problem-solving
- It increases the tendency for accountability
- It keeps you motivated to learn new skills
- It increases your capacity for improvement
- It develops mindfulness
- It promotes self-awareness
We’ve been exposed to the concept of evaluation since childhood especially in schools by teachers through tests, exercises, or exams. Other times by employers and people alike, sometimes the feedback received from these set of people can be seen as derogative when one does not know oneself and abilities. Self-evaluation can aid your approach to engaging feedback and give you perspective on how to improve.
Organizations and society at large would also share the incredible benefits of self-evaluation.