How to make a strategic plan using insights from your annual review

There are many articles available on how to prep for your annual review at work. There are decidedly fewer options for people who want to derive value from them. That's why we created the definitive guide to planning for professional advancement, based on feedback from annual performance reviews.
 

Gain self-awareness

Part of your annual review is typically focused on your own reflections gained through self-assessment.¹⁵ These could include strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments and more.

Discussing these things with your boss/reviewer can determine whether those personal observations are being noticed, or if you might be inflating them somewhat in hopes of a raise or some other form of upward mobility.

Depending on what you discover, you can take inventory and isolate:

• Skills and strengths to add to your resume that may help with your discoverability and marketability when applying for a new role.
• Accomplishments to refer back to if you interview with other employers, or with other potential bosses at your current employer.
• Weaknesses that can be addressed with additional training or other methods.

Let's discuss actionable ways to move these observations toward goals, and ultimately, a future.
 

Start building

Once you have validated feedback, you can take it in and organize it in an informed way. Systems exist to do that. Many are used in project management or product launches, but many can also be applied to your career. Some include:
 

A personal SWOT analysis

SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Place what you excel at, areas where you could improve, options for making changes and elements that might block you from succeeding under those four headers. Once complete, it will help you make an informed plan.^1&14
 

A project management approach with a Gantt chart or Kanban board

Some advantages of using the Gantt method include the inclusion of dependencies and timelines, while the pros of Kanban include the ability to be more agile and use buckets.^2&3
 

Daily lists with the Ivy Lee Method

This method is simple and focused on daily productivity. The idea is to generate a list of six things to do when you first wake up, in order of priority. From there, move from one to six without skipping around. This will enable you to accomplish your most vital tasks.

You could also try doing this in the long term. Just make sure to go in order of what matters.^4&5
 

A mental goal pyramid

University of Pennsylvania psychology professor Angela Duckworth advocates for people to build a priority pyramid, with the top level focused on who you are in ten words or fewer. From there, the lower levels should support that in the form of a goal. The supporting goals might change, but the top-level should be fairly consistent.⁶
 

The RICE framework

RICE stands for reach, impact, confidence and effort.

The RICE framework involves scoring for each letter. The R is specific to your project's reach, so if you want to complete 25 net-new job applications, the score becomes 25. For the impact, you rate on a standard scale from minimal impact of .25 all the way up to massive impact of 3. For confidence, you choose from low, medium and high (50%-100%). The last area is effort, which is largely an individual matter.

We urge you to read about this method in more detail before using it.^8&9
 

The value versus effort framework

The key to this method is to categorize quick wins (high value, low effort), big bets (high value, high effort), maybes (low value, low effort) and time sinks (low value, high effort) based on your own evidence, scoring each category accordingly. You can then use these and place them into a matrix of your choice to plot your priorities.⁷
 

The MoSCoW method

This method involves tiering must-have, should-have, could-have and won't-have designations. It's great for making priorities crystal clear, helping decision-making easier, and it even eliminates aspects that aren't needed to reach your current goal!^8&9&10
 

The Eisenhower Matrix

Our last prioritization method is the Eisenhower Matrix, which uses urgency and importance to create a path forward. Essentially, you categorize tasks into four quadrants, in order of priority: things you must do first, items you can complete later, elements that can be delegated to others (although this is unlikely for a personal goal), and, of course, things that can be omitted.¹²

Once you have determined your priorities and the necessary details, it's time to write down your goals.
 

Chart your career journey

Now you can take what you have organized and start writing up S.M.A.R.T. goals¹³

S.M.A.R.T. goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. We often reference them because they keep you grounded in what’s possible, yet still targeted.
 

Helpful ways to reach your goals

There are many solutions to help you reach your goals, but here are some strong ideas to get you started:

1. Do coursework, online or in person
2. Find a paid internship (yes, you can and should get paid to learn)
3. Consider an apprenticeship (they still exist in 2026!)
4. Apply for a fellowship (many foundations offer these opportunities)
5. Go to conferences (who doesn't love networking and learning?)
6. Face your fears (like public speaking ... we know it's a big one for many)
7. Rework your materials (resume, references, online profiles, website and anything else you use in your job searches)
8. Find a mentor: Whether you want to alleviate a weakness or further bolster a strength, if you find an area you're passionate about improving, it's likely you can utilize your boss's knowledge of internal (and sometimes even external) potential mentors who can help you grow. Or, you can find a mentor on your own!
9. Mentor others: You can learn a lot from teaching others what you know; plus, teaching in and of itself is a skill.
10. Take everything you've learned and apply for a new job.

Do you feel ready to advance? Check out our open positions and discover the opportunities waiting for you—your next big adventure could start here.

Sources and inspiration

1. SWOT analysis: Examples and templates
2. Gantt vs. Kanban: Pros, cons, and when to use each
3. Kanban vs. Gantt Charts: Which Is Best for Your Team?
4. The Ivy Lee Method: A Timeless Strategy for Maximum Productivity
5. The Ivy Lee Method: A Practical Productivity Guide
6. This simple mental diagram can help you discover your ultimate goal in life
7. What Is Value vs Effort Matrix and How Does it Work in Product Management?
8. Six product prioritization frameworks and how to pick the right one
9. Understanding the RICE Model and its framework
10. Understanding the MoSCoW prioritization | How to implement it into your project
11. Chapter 10: MoSCoW Prioritisation
12. The Eisenhower Matrix: How to prioritize your to-do list
13. How to write SMART goals
14. SWOT Analysis
15. Annual Review: Understanding the Process and Importance
     

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