Your heart sinks and you break out into a cold sweat: It’s that time of year … the sit down with the boss … aka your performance review.
If your last review felt more high school detention than a career development discussion, it may be time to revise your tactics.
Just like you need to prepare for an important job interview, performance reviews are important meetings designed to guide your career development. To be effective, it requires advance planning and preparation. A good performance review should result in a set of actions to improve your work performance and a clear direction of where your career is heading.
Consider the following pointers to get the most out of your performance review:
In addition to taking a forward look at where you want to go, while highlighting what you have achieved, you should take note of:
At the start of the meeting, you can set the tone by providing a summary of how you view your performance since your last review. It is important to provide a realistic picture … if you gloss over issues, it will backfire. Your manager will have done as much preparation and groundwork as you and your perspectives should be similar (if you are being honest with yourself).
Be prepared to listen and accept criticism or suggestions with an open mind. Take notes, and ask your manager to expand on his or her observations with examples of where he/she thinks you may be lacking.
If you disagree with some points made during the review, bring forward positive examples of where you have performed at a satisfactory level, but don’t get into an argument. Make your point, then sit back and listen. You might be surprised by what you can learn … and the criticism should give you a good idea of how to improve your performance for next time.
A good performance review will end with both you and your boss setting new goals and objectives. These should be challenging, but achievable. If for any reason you feel that they are not, then you should say so there and come to a compromise.
One trend in reviews is a 360 review. This is where both the employee and boss use the process to evaluate each other’s performance. This is a great tool when used correctly. It should be a good chance for both employee and boss to discuss how they can work more effectively together.
It is not a time to dump on a boss, or to gloss over your own challenges with complaints about the boss’ performance. We have all had bosses in our careers who were not perfect role models for our own careers. Star performers don’t let that stand in their way. They find ways to work with all personalities to achieve their goals.
Finally, remember that reviews are a part of the career process. They are not the beginning or an end. If you have a bad review, take a good hard look at the suggestions. They will help guide you in a more positive direction for your future.
Christian Hasse joined the recruitment firm Cramer & Co. – following more than a dozen years of senior public relations experience. His focus is on supporting searches in PR, Communications, Investor Relations, and Public Affairs, and building on his background in journalism and sports PR. He is also an industry guest speaker at various educational institutions and CPRS events.
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