Here’s a syllogism, or something like one: humans are biased in their own favor. You are human. Therefore, you’re biased in your own favor. You won’t deny it, right? I don’t!
Knowing that, here’s a really powerful exercise that is shockingly useful, just sit down, with a pen and paper (err, screen and keyboard) and write up an analysis of your work, your working style, the experience working with you, as you think your client/boss sees it. Try to think it through from his eyes.
Here’s a better way to do it: you probably think he’s a bit stupid, right? Or he doesn’t realize a lot of things in front of his eyes. Write it up in a way that assumes he is 20 IQ points smarter than you think he is. This is hard because if he really were that smart, how come he said or did things that, to you, sound apparently stupid? A smarter person wouldn’t’ve said or done any of those things! But assume there is a “method behind the madness” as Hamlet said or almost said.
(Completely unbiased side-note: whole books have been written on this subject. One, in particular. By your humble author!)
Now, here’s another variation of the exercise: the same as the previous one, but do it in a way that approximates a review of each of the different aspects of your work that he might judge you on. The first step is, come up with a list of what he might judge you on! Here are a few pointers that are likely in most scenarios: the quality of the work itself. Your communication skills. Your proactivity skills. In fact, when I do reviews, I usually focus on those three. Many managers add in things like “teamwork” but most of these other ones are bs, well, that is to say, of secondary importance compared to the three items mentioned above.
A final variation: repeat the last exercise, and now assume that your client/boss is twice more brutal and twice more honest than he actually is. What would that version of your client/boss say to you?
And now, here’s the trump card, this final version of the analysis, show it to your client/boss. How does he respond?
Now, let’s step back. Why do this exercise at all? There are a few reasons why this is useful.
One is that your boss will likely do this. So, if you have a head start, you can solve the problems before he confronts you on them.
Two is that more passive-aggressive bosses will do this internally without telling you, and just fire you if the results aren’t hot. And you won’t understand why. Here, this also lets you preempt that situation so you can keep your job in the case of not-great results.
Three is that it will help you become a better freelancer from your client’s eyes. Precisely because it will expose the problems that are hard to see.
Four is that, if you do show it to him, his respect for your self-analysis and honesty about yourself will skyrocket, and that will make him more excited to work with you going forward, and to think more highly of you.
With any self-evaluation like this, the easy part is deciding to do it. The (painfully) hard part is finding the honesty about your own problems and owning up to them. And you need to own up to them internally for yourself before you do so externally for anyone else.
