We used to have monthly "program reviews" in which the various departments ... um, teams, would report on what they'd been doing, how things were going, financial status if part of their mission. Some people would go on forever about how great they were, some would sensibly do short informative presentations. One woman, frustrated with the whole deal, threatened to do her presentation in interpretive dance. Perhaps Jessica could try that.

Toddson, I've worked at places like that before and it was hellish getting through those meetings. Thankfully, my current employer has structures in place that mean our talent/program reviews are forced to be actually productive.

Truthfully I'm flattered that so many people want my peer feedback, and I want to support all of them, it's just a LOT and also I have pandemic brain and kind of don't remember last year well enough to say anything more constructive than "YES GOOD JOB NICE PERSON"

Our very first program review lasted all day, from morning until closing. Then CONTINUED the next morning. True, we'd never done one before and were unclear on the concept and had a new Executive Director who was trying to get us moving, but that was one long review. It did get better, although there were always those who just HAD to talk about their great results. One would use Power Point charts that were unreadable - tiny, no contrast with lots of tiny indistinguishable lines. One would show his charts more or less readably, but then he'd go off script and ramble. They were often excruciating.

You are doing a great job plowing through those reviews, Jess! Stack of gold stars! I would absolute go with "YES GOOD JOB NICE PERSON" if it were me. Perhaps on a rubber stamp. I sometimes think it would be better for my company to do peer reviews or 360 reviews or something, I have thoughts about how some people are performing, but I know that actually writing reviews would be excruciating and I'm glad we now have this very easy but mysterious and opaque process. At least until I see what my results are.

Truthfully I'm flattered that so many people want my peer feedback, and I want to support all of them, it's just a LOT and also I have pandemic brain and kind of don't remember last year well enough to say anything more constructive than "YES GOOD JOB NICE PERSON"

Yeah, that all sounds right. We're supposed to be doing reviews right now, too, but I haven't looked to see if it's time for peer reviews. (Sometimes we do them mid-year, sometimes we do them year-end, and I think they might have been cancelled last year due to pandemic brain?)

Our very first program review lasted all day, from morning until closing. Then CONTINUED the next morning.

OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Also, I have a meeting with my “mentor” today and I know she wants to talk about what I want to get out of our mentorship—it was assigned. She’s higher up in a slightly different department. And I’m honestly not sure what I want! Like, to know more about possible career options in the future and how to get there? Not sure she’s totally the right person because she may not know?

She can at least tell you what she does know, which may be different from what you know? It may or may not be useful.

I should start my self-assessment right now, because I have finally solved a couple of problems that have been lingering.

Down to the last 10! At this point I've completed all of the really useful reviews I can do and am down to the folks where I might decide to decline with a reason of "did not work with this person enough to give feedback."

Can you fall back on, "he seems nice"?

Timelies all!

Negative test results for both me and Mr. S. He went to school today.

Glad to hear that!