The Dreaded Year End Performance Review - Are You Prepared? 

(An excerpt from Play Smart)

The Importance of A Performance Review

Hopefully, you are invested in the company where you work—meaning you worked very hard to get your job and care about the company and your career. If these statements are true, your performance review is an important opportunity for you to understand your current status and future development within the company. Ask yourself: Are you on track for promotion? Are there any improvements you should be considering as you mature through the ranks? Should you be taking advantage of any educational tools to sharpen your skills?  Your superiors use the performance review to evaluate your progress, share any reservations regarding your activity, and suggest changes you need to make to stay on track for promotion.

Take Advantage and Speak Up

Use your performance review to speak up for yourself and ask questions. Be proactive and take control! This is your career and your future. Candid communications with superiors regarding successes, goals, and expectations promote a healthy growth environment and a successful career at your company. If needed, advise how your role has changed and your responsibilities have expanded, which now require a commensurate salary adjustment and potential promotion.

Preparing for Your Performance Review

How should you prepare? First, take the evaluation process seriously. Understand your job requirements and conduct a self-evaluation to determine if you are satisfying expectations. Identify any knowledge or resource gaps that require training or management assistance to return to your promotional track and advance your career. Keep a record of any contributions to transactions and matters you worked on over the past year (including any speeches, seminars, and other programs you may have given or helped organize). Use this record during your performance review to promote your contributions and accomplishments in an organized, professional manner. In your record, include any marketing efforts, courses, or seminars you took to strengthen your knowledge, any work opportunities you took outside of your area of expertise to help on assignments, and any additional endeavors you participated in to get to know other colleagues. These efforts will demonstrate how you have gone above and beyond your expected work requirements. Propose your plan of action for self-improvement during your review. If you have been performing above your level and taking on new responsibilities with established successes, edit your job description accordingly and communicate how your job responsibilities have expanded. If your job has drastically changed, you have a persuasive case for a raise and promotion. These efforts show how you add value to the company and that you are determined to succeed.

Communicating Successes

If you received written or verbal accolades from customers, colleagues, or superiors, ensure you mention them during your performance review. If available, provide a copy of these accolades to underscore your credibility. If you contributed significantly to larger transactions, ask your superior from those matters to provide his or her compliments in writing for you to share with management. Pick superiors who know you well and care about your progression in the company to conduct these evaluations. Endeavor to include any superiors outside of your work area who you assisted in project emergencies and who applaud your efforts. Keep management updated regularly on your accomplishments, positive reviews from superiors, and any new skills training you receive through-out the year. Be bold about your efforts and successes by tooting your horn. You know your male colleagues will not hesitate to do the same. Don’t resist opportunities to champion your efforts by being modest.

Addressing Negative Feedback

Stay calm and attentive if you receive negative feedback during your performance review. Ensure you understand what changes you must make and commit to adjusting accordingly. Ask for clarification if needed. Additionally, provide defensive reasoning for your work if you believe the reviewing supervisor neglected important facts governing your work contributions.

Persevere if your project fails or you receive a bad performance review on a project. Acknowledge what went wrong and look for ways you can make necessary changes to improve your performance. One of my favorite sayings about making mistakes is, “You can pick up a mistake and carry it as a burden, or you can set it down and use it as a steppingstone to great- ness.” [Author Unknown]

Perform to The Best of Your Ability

As you progress, remember that you should complete every project you undertake to the best of your ability. It only takes one superior with a negative impression to impact your reviews and future at the company, potentially causing devastating consequences. If a superior expresses dissatisfaction with your work product, try to understand their project requirements and meet with that person. Gently demand the feedback you need to understand expectations and commit to making the suggested improvements. Most importantly, be kind, respectful, and courteous in your communications.

Reject Quid Pro Quo

Finally, “quid pro quo” is never acceptable! If your superior asks for sexual favors in exchange for a positive review, promotion, or raise, he has violated the law.

For more information, visit us at www.thesandboxseries.com and read Play Smart.

We wish you the best for your review! 

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