August 28, 2026 Categories: In Print / Features
One Good Turn
After writing about (spiritual) performance reviews last week, a reader sent me a short clip from the popular TV series Mad Men, set in a 1960’s ad agency. The protagonist, an outstanding creative director called Don, is approached by his direct report, Peggy, who says: “I want to have my performance review – I’ve had quite a year,” as she hands him a document. After briefly looking through it, Don asks her “What do you see for the future?” to which she responds:
I’d like to be the first woman creative director at this agency…
Don: I’m impressed you know exactly (what you want).
Peggy: What else is there?
Don: Let’s say you get that – what’s next?
Peggy: Land something huge.
Don: And then?
Peggy: Have a big idea.
Don: So you want fame?
Peggy (after a pause) Yes.
Don: What else?
Peggy: I don’t know.
Don: Yes you do.
Peggy: Create something of lasting value.
Don: (laughing) In advertising!?
Peggy: This is supposed to be about my job – not the meaning of life.
Don: So you think those things are unrelated?
I was struck that Peggy appeared to initiate her own performance review, something instructive for those readers that don’t have an official performance review period/opportunity: Just create your own. This is not unlike Yom Kippur Katan, where some have the custom to critically reflect on the past month each erev Rosh Chodesh and refine their goals and aspirations for the month ahead. That’s not to say you need to wait until a specific date in the calendar to highlight your achievements to your boss or Hashem (The Ultimate Creative Director), but it’s certainly something we should engage in at least yearly.
I also realized that I needed to refine my message from last week about identifying your goals. For some, this will be stating the obvious:
- Your success will be inversely proportional to the number of goals you establish i.e. the more goals you have, the more overwhelmed you may get in attempting to achieve them and the less likely each one will be fully achieved. There’s no prize for the longest list of goals.
- The goal(s) you set should be personally meaningful and worthwhile. This way, you’ll avoid spending an inordinate amount of time steadily working to accomplish a goal that has little or no lasting impact to you or the company. Even once your goals are selected, be sure to periodically review them. This could be each Rosh Chodesh for your personal goals, and quarterly for professional goals to ensure the company goal posts and priorities haven’t changed.
