The Performance review process can be a very stressful time for an employee. In some instances, a manager may have not provided the employee with clear goals and objectives or consistent feedback throughout the year. As a result, the employee is unsure of what feedback he/she may receive during their performance review. Low and behold, your review is less positive than you expected. You may feel it is unfair, subjective, biased or unrealistic. So what do you do now? This is a tough situation but here are some ideas and tips to consider before you take any action that can have a negative impact on your career.
Question: "I wasn't happy with my last performance review. Should I dispute the review by not signing the document? Write a letter for my file? Talk to someone in the Human Resources department? Or just let it go?"
Answer: If you are not happy with your performance review, you should definitely offer some kind of response to your manager. However, the manner in which you respond will be essential in turning this negative situation into one that is positive.
1. Remain calm and professional. You do not want to get defensive and show that you are angry and upset. Try to take in everything that your manager is saying to you and ask for clarification if something is unclear. Ask your manager to provide you with clear and concrete examples of goals that you did not meet.
2. Ask for a follow-up meeting within two to three business days. You do not have to respond right away nor do you have to sign your review during your initial meeting. Use the time to collect your backup data. It is a good idea to meet with your manager a later date when you have had time to calm down and assess the feedback from your review.
3. Get the facts without getting defensive. Ask your manager to explain each criticism. For example, if your boss said your projects was delivered late and over budget, get dates, times and cost. If you receive negative feedback regarding your interpersonal skills, ask for specific instances. Remember, your manager's assessment of your performance is based on data and sometimes subjective feedback received from others. However, give your manager an opportunity to respond and possibly retract negative critiques that have been made. Anyone can make erroneous judgments based upon incorrect data and information. You can say, without confrontation, "My records show I managed six projects, not four. Can we go over this point?
4. Thoroughly assess your review and the feedback received from your manager. Be honest with yourself regarding the feedback provided. For example, did you miss any critical deadlines, if so why? Have you had problems interacting with other team members? Do you take excessively long lunches or have a problem with tardiness or absenteeism? Can you improve your written or oral communication skills? Let's face it, none of us are perfect, and there are always areas of improvement. If there is truth to some of the negatives, come up with ways to resolve those issues and clearly communicate it to your manager.
Example 1- "You pointed out that on several occasions, I have sent emails to the team with grammatical errors and typos. I will work on improving my written communication skills by utilizing the spell and grammar check functions before sending out correspondence."
Example 2- "You mentioned that I missed two critical deadlines for the ABC project. While that is correct, the deadlines were missed because of production issues overseas. Going forward, I will ensure that if any situation arises that can cause me to miss a deadline, I will inform you immediately so we can adjust the schedule."
5. Be prepared to discuss your accomplishments that may not have been acknowledged during your review. Managers don't always remember the successes of their employees. It is your job to remind them during the performance appraisal period. Gather your own evidence of performance. Collect letters/emails of appreciation, dates and times of project completion, and statistics showing how you helped the company.
6. Ask your manager to provide you with clearly defined goals, objectives and time lines for these to be accomplished. Let your manager know that you would appreciate consistent feedback. In addition, ask for informal quarterly reviews if it is not mandated by your organization.
7. Do not discuss your review with your peers. Your peers are likely to provide you with subjective opinions, and may not keep your situation confidential.
8. Place a rebuttal letter in your file. This action can defuse the impact of a negative evaluation if the evaluation is not changed by your manager. When you have had a strong performance track record, your company will oftentimes ignore an occasional negative review.
9. Avoid jumping to negative conclusions and searching for a new job. A negative review does not always mean that you will be terminated. Most companies offer performance improvement plans to help employees improve performance and "meet expectations." While it is a good idea to always remain marketable and to maintain your professional network, do not react hastily by looking to jump ship. Your intuition will let you know whether you need to stay put and work on improving your performance or if it is the right time to pursue opportunities outside of your organization.
10. Continue to maintain a positive attitude if you decide to continue your career with your employer. While you may be upset about receiving a negative review, do not let it show in the workplace. Take this as an opportunity to go above and beyond what is expected of you. You do not want to jeopardize your career by having a "negative" attitude.
The ultimate goal of the performance review process is to foster open, honest and objective feedback regarding your performance for the year. This should not be a subjective meeting with your manager doing all of the talking. Make sure you walk away from your review feeling satisfied as to why you received a specific rating and with the goals and objectives given to you for the upcoming year. Not all performance review meetings will result in a positive exchange. If you have utilized the tips above and you are still not satisfied with the final outcome of your review process, seek the guidance of your Human Resources Representative.
RESOURCES
- Learning Point – http://www.learningpt.org/ Learning Point Associates applies research and evaluation, direct professional services, and policy knowledge to create change at every level of the education system—classroom, school, district, state and national.
- Professional Development Institute – http://www.webteaching.com/ The Professional Development Institute offers quality online courses for K-12 educators. For every PDI course, teachers have the option of earning graduate-level extension credit from the prestigious University of San Diego (USD) or continuing education units from the world-renowned University of Southern California (USC).
- Resume’s That Win – www.resumesthatwin.net Resumes That Win is a minority owned boutique resume writing firm that provides comprehensive resume and career services to those who desire extraordinary, specialized attention.
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