If you want learn how to have a successful performance review, check out our performance review tips. Here’s a summary:
Be Prepared: It’s like the saying “Know thy enemy”. Maybe that’s a little dramatic, but you get the idea. Know what you’re facing so you can do everything in your power to ensure a successful outcome.
The Response: Start by highlighting the areas that you’ve improved since your last performance review. Especially the skills that were previously identified as weaker. Use an example of a successful project you worked on to highlight how you’ve improved those skills. This shows that you’re tracking the areas you need to improve and actively working on them.
The Negative Review: Don’t turn your review into a ‘boxing match’. If your manager gives you negative feedback, don’t get defensive. Acting defensively won’t change the outcome, and will only make you look worse. Being able to take criticism is an important aspect of business and life, and something that managers look for in future leaders.
Performance reviews are no fun in general. They’re especially painful when you receive a poor grade. Here’s a few helpful tips to help you get through a negative review:
Don’t turn your review into a ‘boxing match’. If your manager gives you negative feedback, don’t get defensive. Acting defensively won’t change the outcome, and will only make you look worse. Being able to take criticism is an important aspect of business and life, and something that managers look for in future leaders.
Ask questions and seek clarification. Ask for specific steps you can take to improve your performance. Not only will this help you improve, it will show your manager that you’re serious about improving.Your goal should be to finish your review with an understanding of exactly what you’re doing (or not doing) that lead to a less then stellar review.
Don’t take it personally. A review that doesn’t honestly assess your performance will hurt more in the long run than negative feedback now. You’ll keep making the same mistakes which may eventually lead to your dismissal. Remember this: negative feedback may sting now but will help in the long run.
A poor performance review isn’t the end of the world. Use it as motivation to improve, and show your boss what you’re really capable of.
What did you think of your performance this year? Probably the toughest question you’re likely to face during your review. Here’s how you should respond:
Start by highlighting the areas that you’ve improved since your last performance review. Especially the skills that were previously identified as weaker. Use an example of a successful project you worked on to highlight how you’ve improved those skills. This shows that you’re tracking the areas you need to improve and actively working on them.
Explain what areas you are still struggling with, and how you’re working to improve. This demonstrates that you are aware of your abilities and actions and that you’re serious about your performance at work. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Never say there’s nothing that you could improve. It’s like answering the old “What’s your biggest weakness?” question by claiming to be a perfectionist. No one’s buying it — and you’re lying. Even the most talented people have some area that they could improve.
Finish your response by highlighting a success story. Explain how a project went really well that subtly highlights how your improvements helped it succeed.
A good way to structure all your responses: good, less good, good. You want to finish your performance review on a high note.
Performance reviews are a dreaded part of the working life. To help make them a little less stressful, and help you have a more successful performance review, here’s a helpful tip:
Be Prepared: It’s like the saying “Know thy enemy”. Maybe that’s a little dramatic, but you get the idea. Know what you’re facing so you can do everything in your power to ensure a successful outcome.
Here’s how to prepare:
Ask HR or your manager exactly what the process will be. Knowing how it’s going to go down will help make sure there are no unexpected surprises. Be sure to ask in advance, not the morning of.
Prepare responses. When your boss asks “So, how did you think you preformed this year?” don’t start stammering and babbling about. Have a solid response and practice saying it out loud. It’s an interview. Even though you don’t know the exact question you’ll face, prepare the message the you want to convey.
Review what you did over the past year. It’s been a year so you might be hazy on some details. You don’t want your boss to know more about something you spent a lot of time on then you do. Take some time to review your notebook or to do list and check through your email folders. This will also help you remember the challenges you faced, which is great material to highlight in your review.
Prepare some questions to ask during you performance review: Asking questions is a great way to show that your serious about improving. Ask for some first steps to take to improvement. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if something is unclear. Here’s a list of questions to ask during your performance review.
It’s time for a little stereotyping. I’ve noticed something about myself, so I am going to use this observation to describe a whole generation. (A perfect sample size for unbiased and objective results: one).
In the spirit of transparency, here’s how I came to my conclusion:
Hypothesis: Gen Y lacks the motivation and determination to solve problems, because of our dependence on the Internet. (Nice way to say we’re lazy)
By no means do I think we are less intelligent or suffer from some genetic flaw that makes us less capable of solving a problem. I think we’re a little lazy. Yeah, that’s right. I said it. We’re lazy.
Gen Ys: don’t worry! It’s not your fault. I blame Google and the iPhone. Think about it: how many times have you been faced with a question or a problem that you didn’t know the answer to? I’m sure more times than you can possibly count. My generation doesn’t do what people for millenia have done before us, namely stopping at this point to try and figure it out for ourselves. Before a Gen X could even have started down that path, we’ve got iPhones in hand, Google query half-written. All of the questions that can’t be answered with a quick search get dumped in the “it wasn’t really that important” category.
Conclusion: As a result of having grown up with the internet, where answers are found within seconds, our generation has become overly dependent on the Internet to do our thinking for us.
Descartes said “I think, therefore I am.” If Descartes was around today he would have said “I Google, therefore I am.”
By December 23rd, 1944 entire US Divisions were still retreating as the German Army continued to advance through the Ardennes Forest in a last-ditch effort to win World War II. On that frigid morning 65 years ago, a sergeant in a retreating tank destroyer spotted a bedraggled paratrooper chipping a foxhole out of the frozen ground.
The unshaven soldier looked up as the vehicle approached and yelled, “Are you looking for a safe place?”
“Yeah,” answered the tanker.
“Well, buddy, just pull your tank behind me,” he replied, “I’m the 82nd Airborne and this is as far as the bastards are going.”
Check out Geoffrey’s blog, Leading on Purpose for more great stories on leadership.
Overloading the star performer. Stars make it look easy. So easy, that it’s tempting to keep on throwing balls in their direction, assuming that they will push back when they have too many in the air. Problem is, many times, overachievers don’t know their limits.
It’s natural to want your best people on your most important projects. But you have to remember that everyone has their limits. Overload your stars and they’ll burn out. Being an effective manager is knowing which projects are crucial. Prioritizing your projects will help you assign you star performers and ensure you don’t overload them.
Refusing to address performance issues. It’s a fact that some people are better at their jobs than others. If one of your people is struggling, something is wrong. And, if you know it, so do they.
Talk to your people! Sit down with them for fifteen minutes and ask them how they’re doing. “How are you as an individual (not an employee) doing?” Then highlight some projects where they did a great job, and some areas they can improve.
It’s business, it always comes down to the bottom line. But remember, firing and then hiring someone new is expensive. Helping your people succeed, helps your business.
Always remember:
A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not.” – John Q Adams
What do all those generic performance review phrases really mean? Probably one of life’s more important questions to answer. Courtesy of Blog Tactic, HR language translated into plain old Queen’s English:
HR: Active Socially translate English: Drinks A lot
HR: Independent Worker translateEnglish: Nobody knows what he/she does
HR: Has Leadership Qualities translate English: Is tall or has louder voice
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