5 Tips how to prepare for your performance review
Performance appraisals are often feared by employees and line managers. But it doesn't have to be, because good preparation will allow everyone to discuss the past year's performance and focus on the next steps. It is important as an employee to enter this review prepared to enable the desired outcome.
What is a performance review?
A performance review (also called a performance evaluation or a performance appraisal) is a formal conversation where a manager will offer feedback to an employee and evaluates an employee’s work performance, identifies strengths and weaknesses, offers feedback, and sets goals for future performance. Performance reviews are intentional, scheduled conversations and not sporadic, random chats. These conversations typically happen every six months or every year.
How can you prepare for performance reviews?
Regardless of whether a performance review is formal or casual, employees should be prepared for it. Here are my tips on how to prepare:
Be clear on your expected outcome
Whilst the focus should remain on the performance evaluation it is important for yourself to understand what you want to get out of the meeting. This could range from focus on development, pay raise, career transition, trainings or assignment. In some cases as well a sabbatical. Your intent is setting the framework for your preparation.
Prepare your accomplishments and your failures.
Ideally you make and document your success during the period that is going to be evaluated. And: be critical as well. Prepare to talk about things that did not go well and include your learnings form these situations. You should be able to share concrete examples of how you have met goals set at the last review and how they have improved overall.
Self-evaluate.
Practice self-evaluation by using a mock performance review. Identify new strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments and goals. Use the company’s performance evaluation form to prepare yourself. Use the language your line manager and your company will be using. I love the informalness of a self-evaluation because you can track your accomplishments as they happen.
However, a better strategy is penciling in some time on your calendar each week to review your work. Why? Because your memory of the excellent work you did that week is better now than in three months.
Collect Feedback
Collect feedback from colleagues who have worked closely with you.
Quantify your success with Numbers
With your self-evaluations, you're keeping a detailed track record of all your past achievements and recent accomplishments. Now you need to translate this into a business language – what was in it for the company, for your team, for your leadership?
Plan your future contribution
You’re asking for something and you have a proven track record. Now it is time to demonstrate your strategic thinking, your commitment to the company and your growth mindset. How do you plan to continue growing within the company? Spend some time thinking about where you want your career to go.
Change perspective
Think about what is in it for your company, your team and your boss when they keep investing in you. Would giving you the raise/training ensure that they have a stable person in a management position? Would their feedback ensure that you deliver even better work? Would their feedback prevent the possibility of you leaving? Would your promotion include you being more empowered? It is not the time to talk about cost of living, you need to focus on what is in it for them? What are their priorities? What does success look like for them and your team/department? The aim is to create a win-win situation. This includes as well researching the current business environment.
Practice the talk
Once you went through all the points above, document and prepare your points. Include bullet points that clearly illustrate the point you plan to make to your leadership. Review if your success examples are clear, concise and that you can really tell the story.
Don’t Just write, present it
There is a huge difference between what is written and how you talk about it. My advice would be to practice A lot, either with yourself (record and watch yourself – analyze your speech and the way you present it). This may feel weird but it will help you so much.
Ask your feedback
Once you have increased your confidence and fine-tuned your preparation, ask family and/or friends to provide feedback as well. In this way you will get super honest feedback.
With all the preparation you will now have:
A roadmap for the talk
A concrete target
Arguments to support your target
Arguments to counterargue your leader
To sum it up: You know what to say and when to say it!
My final tip on how to prepare for the performance review:
Performance reviews should be a priority for managers and employees. They help make sure everyone’s personal goals are aligned with the company’s goals and give valuable insights on ways the employee and the manager can improve. When performance reviews are put first, the entire company can benefit. Check out if there is enough time allocated for the meeting. Ensure that you and your boss are present in the meeting (take care of timing e.g. close to lunch break, after stressful meetings, at the end of a tough week). Last but not least ensure that the room you are meeting is supporting a good discussion.
When done right, performance reviews can help everyone to understand what worked well, what did not work well and what could be done differently next time.
Employees who use performance reviews effectively can ensure that their accomplishments and their potential is recognized, they communicate their expectations confidently and increase the support from their leadership.
No need to be stressed about performance reviews
Performance reviews are stressful for both sides — the employee and the manager. That’s perfectly normal. Fortunately, when prepared things become easier. Whether it’s a performance review, a salary adjustment meeting or the implementation of a performance improvement plan (PIP), these tips will help you to more confidently perform during the meeting.
My course SHOW UP! is also focusing on talking confidently – especially about one´s accomplishments. So, it´s a great opportunity for improvement.
In my course MOVE UP! one module is about preparing for performance reviews from a leadership perspective. For more information click here.
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