Many employees think of
the performance review as a time to passively receive their boss’s
opinion of their worth. If that’s your view, you may be missing a
valuable opportunity. Instead, look at the performance appraisal as a
chance for an in-depth discussion about your work and career.
Capitalizing on this opportunity requires advance planning, so use the
following steps to prepare for a useful talk with your manager.
1.Be sure that you have a review.
Large organizations will
have an annual review process managed by the HR department, but small
businesses often operate more informally. And even when a formal
sit-down occurs, many managers fail to have a real two-way discussion.
So you may need to initiate the dialogue by asking for a time to talk
about your job and your performance.
2.Honestly evaluate the past year.
An annual review should
be just that – a look back at the previous year. So you need to
consider all the successes, problems, and challenges that occurred
during the past twelve months. We naturally tend to interpret
circumstances in our favor, so try to be objective. Denying obvious
problems will just make you appear self-serving and biased.
3.Think about next year’s objectives.
Although reviews focus on
the past, you don’t want to stop there. Once the formal assessment is
over, shift the focus to upcoming activities and events. To plan for
this discussion, consider goals, opportunities, and obstacles. What
projects would you like to undertake? What resources will you need?
How can your manager help you succeed?
4.Consider your career.
You should also reflect
on your career goals. What training or development opportunities would
benefit you? Could your organization sponsor membership in professional
organizations? Can your manager facilitate internal networking
opportunities? Are there assignments that would help you prepare for
the future?
5.Anticipate your manager’s point of view.
When dealing with
managers, smart employees always try to think like one. So you must
consider how your boss will view your past performance and future
goals. This will help you predict the course of the discussion and
plan your approach.
6.Set goals for the discussion with your
boss.
If you’ve completed steps
2 through 5, then you’re ready to develop a discussion plan. Although
your manager controls the appraisal conversation, you can also initiate
topics. So before the meeting, make a list of everything you hope to
cover.
7.Prepare for known disagreements.
If some issues have been
contentious or if you and your boss predictably differ in certain areas,
then you need to decide how to handle this. Since managers control the
review process, starting an argument will only hurt you. Simply
acknowledging the differences without arguing is often the best course.
However, if you feel that
your career or reputation is at stake, you may want to add written
comments to your review. These will be included in the official
record. And if the problem is truly severe, you might even appeal the
appraisal. Just be sure to weigh the risks and benefits before taking
any adversarial actions.
8.Complete your self-appraisal form.
In most formal review
systems, employees are asked to fill out self-appraisal forms.
Unfortunately, too many people view self-appraisal as a meaningless
chore or an opportunity for blatant self-promotion.
The self-appraisal can
help you by reminding your boss of overlooked accomplishments. After
all, few managers are aware of everything their employees do. But don’t
overdo it - if you boast, brag, and omit known problems, your comments
may be ignored.
To insure that your input
is considered, turn in your form as early as possible. You want your
boss to have it before writing your review.
9.Decide whether to discuss pay concerns.
If you feel you deserve a
salary increase, you need to determine the best time to ask. In many
organizations, pay decisions are made before the performance review
discussion, so you might want to make your request prior to review
time.
In a phone coaching session, you can discuss any workplace concern with
Dr. Marie McIntyre. Common problems include management challenges,
difficult bosses, frustrating coworkers, career concerns, and job search
skills.
If
you like, you can send a complete description of your situation before
the call. Marie will study it in advance, in order to make the
best use of your time.
Phone coaching sessions typically last 30 or 60 minutes.
The cost is $49 per half hour. If you do not find the session helpful, we
will gladly process a refund. For more information or to schedule
an appointment, just send us an email.
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material on yourofficecoach.com
is copyrighted to Marie G. McIntyre.All rights reserved.
May
be reproduced for non-commercial use with copyright and attribution to
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