Soon, everyone will be back from summer vacation, and the pace of work will pick up again. There are a few things to think about as you enter the last quarter of the year…..1. It starts at the top: How is the organization/your division doing against its goals?  Now is the time to make sure you deliver on 2018 commitments….by November/December, people hope to have the year relatively well in hand. If you’re running behind, make up for the time now. If there’s funding you need to spend, spend it..but wisely (sometimes it’s better to return the money….I know everyone likes to spend the money in fear their budgets will get cut next year due to a lower run-rate, but it’s better to be honest. Is it really a good use of the firm’s money?

2. What were your accomplishments for the year?  This is what we referred to at Amex as our “G”s….the business goals we were meant to achieve.  Write down your bullets of what you’ve accomplished now….make sure you’re laser focused on anything that’s coming in the last quarter. You should have a pretty good idea now of what you were meant to do.

3. How did you do against your “L” goals…..what we defined as leadership goals at Amex?  This tended to be your personal development goals…..think about whether or not you have concrete examples of how you’ve developed and improved during the year. Would your manager and others agree?  If not, think about what you need to do the next quarter to move the ball forward. More times than not it’s behavior that needs to change, not intent.

4. Have your touch base with your manager now. Pretty soon, year end reviews and 360 degree forms will descend on everyone….and no one will have time to talk. Take advantage of the lull and check in with your manager on how you’ve done on your Ls, and Gs…..at least if there’s a surprise, you have time to recover.  A simple “how do you think I’ve done this year?” can start the conversation.

5. Take a moment and think about how you’re feeling about your career trajectory and where you are before bonuses and salary increases happen (or don’t).  Emotions get triggered by how we feel we’re valued….and that gets triggered by money. Managers will try and keep expectations low. Employees will believe they did better year over year and deserve more. The best way to navigate is to make sure your contribution is understood now…before the frenzy of comp and promotion decisions are underway.