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Inspiration

Give yourself a dynamic

assessment for 2022

his month many people are assessing their per- I expect Broder's second suggestion to talk less and listen
formance for the year coming to a close. There more is second nature to you, because as ISOs, merchant
are many ways people do this, because each level salespeople and other professionals in the merchant
T person has distinct priorities and inclinations, acquiring sphere, you know how critical this singular
and that makes sense. But one thing to watch out for when ability is to your success. Another way to freshen the act
reviewing your performance metrics is to keep the process of listening is to ask for feedback from a different group
fresh. than you usually do. Do you rely strictly on data? Do you
interview people? If you do consult people, whom else
It's easy to fall into repeating the same assessment process could you interview to gain new perspectives on your
year after year and in doing so, slipping into a rote mode company's or your individual professional performance?
that doesn't lead to new insights. Instead it leads to creative
stagnation. Spending time studying is an activity just about any
leader can benefit from. One way to study is to read in-
That's the funny thing about the human mind. Something depth articles and watch educational videos online. The
that is striking when you first learn of it can become amount of information we have at our fingertips on just
dull when repeated over time to the point where you're about all areas of knowledge, including how to conduct a
no longer paying much attention to the meaning or goal year-end assessment, is astounding. There are platforms,
behind it. like teachable, too, where experts offer courses you can
take at your own pace. And live webinars where expert
In "3 ways to combat stale ideas," published in Entrepreneur, presentations are followed by Q&As are plentiful.
Lindsay Broder wrote, "Entrepreneurs know better than
anyone the ups and downs of running a successful Get into high gear
business. We thrive on good ideas and communication. So while you are about to bid farewell to one year and
And sometimes we just get stuck. We need to find ways bring in another, "old" doesn't need to apply to the way
to fight stale ideas and get back to the creative, disruptive you assess your results for the past twelve months.
and innovative thinking that fuels us." Bright ideas and innovations don't have to wait until
Prevent lackluster assessments January. Kick yourself into high gear right now. Do that
with the best, most innovative and inspiring look at your
Broder suggested three ways to combat stale ideas: hire a performance you can devise. This will be energizing and
coach, talk less and listen more, and study. Since coaches help you breeze confidently into strategic planning for a
typically come from outside of your organization, they dynamic year ahead.
can provide an objectivity unattainable in-house, which
can lead to fresh insights at year's end. So this could be a
good fit for some payments companies.

Kate Gillespie, President and CEO