I did mine today (thankfully it went pretty well). You’ll probably be doing your’s soon.
This list of 10 points from Salary.com writer Meredith Hanrahan could be a life saver for some. You may still have time before the review hits this year. You’ll definitely benefit from implementing these techniques in the future.
Many employers will be conducting their annual “focal” reviews over the next few months, which in layman’s terms means the time in which you sit down with your boss and go over your achievements against goals. For most people, it is an uncomfortable conversation that produces as much anxiety as going to the dentist or asking for a raise.
For the majority of companies, the annual review is the only formal conversation employees have with their boss about their performance and usually ends with an overview of an employee’s new compensation package such as merit increase, bonus payout and stock grants.
Most employees believe the performance review is a one-sided conversation. More than 50% of employees surveyed provided little to no input into their review process and many consider the review to be their bosses’ responsibility. For the majority, the cash at the end of the rainbow is the only incentive for most folks to listen to the review.
How did performance reviews get such a bad rap and what can you do to make your review, an on-going process not a one-time meeting?
Short and sweet version – know who you are, what you’re capable of, where you want to be going and what you’re doing to get there. Get that on paper and discuss openly it with your boss/manager. Remember that they’re not always the enemy and if you do your job well, it will help them to look good when they’re sitting down for their review.
Additionally, be honest with yourself. If you didn’t meet a goal, admit it and move on to find a way that will help you meet it in the future. Don’t waste time fighting about whether you were a 4 or 5 on a scale of 10, you’ll come across as defensive and combative.
When you did meet (or surpass) a goal, be sure to make note of it — don’t overdo it, but don’t indulge in false modesty either. Your manager may not know anything about it and keeping it quiet means that you’re the only one who appreciates what you’ve accomplished. Also, receiving kudos for good work in one area may help to take the sting out of the areas where you didn’t make the grade.
Good luck!
