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Performance Evaluation

  Back when I was younger, maybe 16 years old, I started out as a sales associate at a well-known, worldwide, sneaker franchise named Foot Locker. I had basic training, of course, all of the rules and regulations were informed by the district manager as well as the store manager. I had, what you can say a manager that wanted to be more your friend than a superior. She was good at her job, maybe bended the rules a bit but she showed me the ropes to the sneaker business. I learned a lot about sneakers and the materials when I worked there. Although she kind of wasn’t a big performance evaluator. Now, I was great—always on time, smiling and pleasant, customer service ready and friendly, polite and respectful, confident and dedicated. But one thing did bother me the most, when it came time to evaluate us, perhaps even promote us; she never did any of it. I got sent to other stores as subs for releases and sometimes short staffed, but I witnessed even got asked by other managers if I got evaluated on my performance and sales. I always answered no, because to be honest I never did. I was always told by other managers and assistant managers that I can be evaluated due to my sales numbers and my performance as well as my customer survey feedback compliments. Getting a performance evaluation was important in this type of place because good enough comments and scores can promote you to a higher level in staff, you don’t need to put in time to get promotion; just basic good old effort. Now I ended up bringing up the personal issue with performance evaluations with the district manager a little too late; basically, because I decided to return to school and working too far from my school wasn’t a good option. So, I basically made it mandatory for the company to evaluate the employees on performance after the completion of the workbooks the first, second, or third training workbook. I never really got evaluated based on my performance in my job, unless you count compliments and employee of the year/month awards. 
            To understand the SMART method, one must first understand what the acronym stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. One must pick specific attainable and relevant goals, then measure the time you have to successful complete goal. This SMART method is really beneficial to getting your goal, or task, down to precise measurements of time and specification to successful accomplish the task. Applying this to a current job, I am a purchasing executive assistant to president of an international trading company. To apply the S in the SMART method; being specific in my work is crucial. I am very detail orientated when I translate Portuguese parts to English, Spanish, Germany, and once in a while French translation. Most of the parts I look for are for mining or aviation machinery, so the parts purchased must be correct. Measurements are as well essential to the shipments and purchases that I make, most of the time I do her book keeping so measuring the amount for the budget for purchase, offices, and other petty cash items, as well as travel needs to be done precisely. Now, working internationally not everything is attainable, sometimes the lead times are completely barbaric lie months for shipments, and I have deadlines in 4 days—I simply cannot. Or other times, some items must be shipped to Chicago our other office location, because the supplier cannot ship out of it region to us in New York City; so yes attainability is necessary. Time is key as well, remember I am getting quotes that have deadlines in 2 days, 4 days max. So, with taking time to translate Portuguese and getting the quotes out cross the world, working on their time schedule, doing follow up international calls at night, because in NY its 3am but in Berlin its 9am. All to get it done in time. Using the SMART method, precisely mapping out what needs to be done ahead of time, getting the organization in place helps make things smoother and go with ease. 

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