How to Prepare for a Performance Review at Work - The Muse

How to Prepare for a Performance Review at Work - The MuseHow to Prepare for a Performance Review at Work Last year, a friend and I had our performance reviews days apart. We both had worked hard and felt good about our work. My meeting went as Id hoped, but my friends went terribly. Her manager had a totally different view of zu sich work, and told her if things didnt improve ASAP shed be on the chopping block. To boot, she was so stunned that when it was her turn to speak, she was at a loss for words. To say she was deflated would be an understatement. Shed worked her butt off all year and the official record said she said sucked at her job. As my friends experience shows, performance reviews dont always go according to plan (especially if your anfhrer doesnt give you a lot of feedback throughout the year). So the best way to approach it is to be prepared- not just for what you expect, but also for what youre going to do if your supervisor binnensees things differently. 1. If You T hink You Did Well...And So Does Your BossMost likely, your success is clear to everyone because its objective. You can point to concrete goals youve hit and exceeded- like money youve earned for the company, or mentions youve gotten in the media, or aufgabes youve solved.You can point to concrete goals youve hit and exceeded- like money youve earned for the company, or mentions youve gotten in the media, or problems youve solved.Before your meeting, think ahead to what youd like moving forward. Is it a raise, mora leadership opportunities, or perhaps a promotion? Muse Writer Sarah Weber points to research that shows a logical argument will be most effective (think I exceeded my sales goal by X% each quarter of brde year which led to amount money for the company and therefore I would like a raise of X%). Of course, there might not always be money for a raise, flexibility in the team structure for a promotion, or whatever the exact perk is youre looking for. So, its helpful to have ot her ideas for how your manager could show appreciation and support your great work (say, a trial of working from home once a week or giving you more autonomy over your workload). ...But Your Boss DoesntThis is the very worst-case scenario Youve followed all of the steps above to prepare and then your anfhrer sits you down and says shes disappointed. The good news is- just knowing this can happen is half the battle. Instead of being blindsided and saying nothing (like my friend), youll be able to power through the conversation.That argument you were prepared to make about all of your good work doesnt go out the window, but its no longer going to be the main focus either. It may seem like your best bet is to counter everything your boss says with facts that show youre actually doing great, but shell see that as being defensive (and its unlikely to change her mind). The only way to remedy whatever your boss sees as the problem is to be crystal clear on two things what it is, and how pr ogress will be tracked moving forward.Instead, really dig into where she sees areas for improvement to get on the same page. Lets take the same example of where you think youre doing great because you exceeded your sales goals. It could be your boss is giving you a poor review because of how you did it. Maybe you undermined a fellow team member and took their client, maybe you promised a timeline that meant other teams had to work overtime, or maybe youve been trying to make close rates a competition when that goes against company culture. The only way to remedy whatever your boss sees as the problem is to be crystal clear on two things what it is, and how progress will be tracked moving forward. Find out whats wrong, then ask what you can do in the next 30, 60, and 90 days to get back on track.That said, you could also get a poor review when a disconnected manager has no idea whats going on (e.g., she cites poor relationships with your clients, but they love you or regular tardines s when youve been late once over the past year). If shes a bad enough manager to be clueless about your workload- and keep her negative feedback to herself all year long- its unlikely things are going to improve, and you probably want to start looking for a new job.2. If You Think Youre Struggling...And So Does Your BossAgain, the silver lining here is that you two are on the same page. While you may feel nervous, you two have the same benchmarks for success, and you can use this meeting to talk about how youre going to work together to get there.To prepare, try to identify where youre coming up short and how your boss can support you.To prepare, try to identify where youre coming up short and how your boss can support you. Are you having trouble meeting deadlines because you feel overloaded with work? Is it because youre never quite clear on whats being asked in the first place? While its possible youll get some bad news in this meeting, if you can clearly point to your challenges- and how youll overcome them- then its reasonable to ask for some time to try your new strategies. ...But Your Boss DoesntYou may be tempted to breathe a sign of relief because your boss has no idea youre struggling. But, truth talk Its not actually in your best interest to keep this a secret.If youve been drowning in work and your boss thinks its all good, then theres no reason for him to think of moderating your workload in the future (and he might even pile on more). Or, if youve just been pretending to be up to speed in meetings, but youre lost what are you going to do when he promotes you to spearheading that new initiative?First, check in and make sure this isnt a case of impostor syndrome, where your own fear of inadequacy keeps you from seeing what an objectively great job youre doing. If you know youre not selling yourself short, then pinpoint exactly where youre feeling overwhelmed and how your boss can support you.If you know youre not selling yourself short, then pinpoin t exactly where youre feeling overwhelmed and how your boss can support you. You could say, I appreciate you noticing that Im always on deadline. Ive been working late four nights a week to achieve that, and Id love to discuss more flexibility in my deadlines so I could achieve greater work-life balance. Or, Im so glad you think Im a strong team player. I feel like Id be able to contribute to our latest initiative even more if I was able to take a course on skill. Remember, bosses arent mind readers- and they appreciate employees who want to do their best- so you shouldnt be afraid to mention an obstacle (so long as its coupled with a solution).In any performance review, the very worst-case scenario is that youre caught off guard. So, prepare for the best- and worst- case scenario, and youll have as successful a meeting as possible. (For even more guidance, check out exact lines to use based on whatever feedback you receive.)