Performance reviews are a crucial opportunity to showcase your achievements, align your goals with your manager, and negotiate your career development. However, many employees dread them or fail to make the most of them. How can you prepare, communicate, and follow up effectively to get the best results from your performance review? Here are some tips to help you master this skill.
Before your review, make sure you understand the criteria and standards that your manager will use to evaluate your performance. Review your job description, your previous feedback, your goals and objectives, and any relevant metrics or indicators. Identify your strengths and areas for improvement, and gather evidence of your accomplishments and challenges. This will help you anticipate and address any questions or concerns that your manager may have.
Planning before the review meeting is essential. This involves taking an objective look at the year's successes and failures. An assessment can frame a manager's feedback in context. From there, you can formulate a response that shows maturity and professionalism. If the feedback is warranted based on your assessment of past performance, you can acknowledge responsibility and determine a plan of action to improve. To go a step further, expressing gratitude to the feedback-giver shows that you are open to growth and change. If unwarranted or unclear, you can actively listen and request clarification. This is why self-evaluation and reflection is so critical. If it has been a year of achievements, it's also a chance to showcase those.
Den Erwartungshorizont zu kennen, h?tte sicherlich dem ein oder anderen Schüler gut weitergeholfen. Nun sind die Anforderungen und Bewertungskriterien nicht immer eindeutig geregelt, dass diese einfach abgefragt werden k?nnten. Versuchen Sie gleich von Beginn an mit einer soliden Basis zu starten, die die Grundwerte des menschlichen Miteinanders achtet. Pünktlichkeit, Zuverl?ssigkeit, Respekt, Wertsch?tzung, etc. Fertigen Sie eine Auflistung konkreter Erfolge an, die auf Ihrem Konto zu verbuchen sind. Untermauern Sie damit Ihren Standpunkt.
Don't wait for your manager to initiate the review process. Reach out to them and ask for a meeting date, time, and format. Confirm the agenda and the expectations for the review. Prepare a self-assessment that highlights your achievements, challenges, and learning outcomes. Share it with your manager in advance and ask for their feedback. During the review, be confident and respectful. Express your appreciation for the opportunity and the support. Focus on the facts and the solutions, not the emotions and the problems.
Something I've learned: your manager sees you differently than you see yourself! Despite your stellar reputation or strong work ethic, a poor or inexperienced manager can wreak havoc. This is seen in a hierarchical method of control. A few things: communicate often and proactively. Overcommunicate, documenting everything in writing. Call out discrepancies in the record. Also, proactively share third-party feedback and copy in a dotted-line manager. Try to offer solutions to any challenges/barriers and set an agenda for your 1:1 meetings. It'll keep you both focused, and it'll help a more inexperienced manager navigate work without their emotional attachment. Then you're both on the same page, and it'll build trust in the long run.
The review process is important in many ways. It is an opportunity to receive feedback, to explore new career paths and to engage in dialogue with your line manager. However, one thing is clear: it will take the form of an interview and you should prepare for it. Be clear about what your goals are in general and for this particular interview. Your organisation will probably work with targets; also think about the areas in which you have excelled and those in which you would like to continue to excel. The interview will be more comfortable if you have both prepared and can discuss your points of view. In short, I recommend everyone to plan enough time for the preparation of the process.
A performance review is not only about looking back, but also about looking ahead. Use this opportunity to communicate your career aspirations, your professional development needs, and your desired outcomes. Discuss with your manager how you can align your goals with the organization's vision and strategy. Ask for specific and constructive feedback on how you can improve your skills and performance. Request the resources and support that you need to achieve your goals and overcome your challenges.
As Albert Einstein said, “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” In the pursuit of professional goals, aim to embody this principle by focusing not just on personal success, but on being a valuable contributor to your team and the broader objectives of the organization. By continually seeking ways to contribute meaningfully and aligning your efforts with the collective vision, create impactful and successful work environment.
A performance review is also a chance to negotiate your compensation, benefits, and recognition. Depending on your organization's policies and practices, you may be eligible for a salary increase, a bonus, a promotion, or other incentives. To make a strong case for yourself, you need to demonstrate your value and impact. Use data and examples to show how you have contributed to the organization's goals and solved its problems. Be realistic and flexible, but also assertive and confident.
A performance review is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process. After the review, make sure you have a clear and written summary of the feedback, the goals, the action plan, and the rewards that you and your manager agreed on. Thank them for their time and input, and ask for their confirmation and approval. Keep track of your progress and achievements, and update your manager regularly. Seek feedback and support as needed, and celebrate your successes.
Follow up and follow through are essential skills for anyone who wants to be successful in their career. They are particularly important after a performance review, because this is a time to make sure that you are on track to achieve your goals. Following up means checking in with your manager regularly to discuss your progress and any challenges you are facing. This shows that you are taking your development seriously and that you are committed to improving your performance.