How To Get The Most Out Of Performance Reviews

Performance review—these two words are the bane of almost every employee, whether entry, middle-level or senior leaders. As long as you have a boss, you have to face it. Even CEOs are subject to reviews from the board or shareholders. Since we can’t avoid it, we should get the most out of it.

In my decades-long corporate career, I have been subjected to and performed countless reviews, and I’d like to share some of my own learning with you.

There are two questions related to this topic:

1. What’s the best thing to get out of a performance review?

2. How do you make the most of it?

The answer to the first question is simple. You would probably say, “Of course, I would like to get a higher score and the highest salary increase possible. A promotion would be even better.” Well, I have a slightly different opinion on this. But let me touch on the “how” part first, and I will get back to the “what” part at the end.

Let me tell you a secret: Most managers already have quite a firm perception of your performance even before they start the process. With or without a formal process, they know how you have been doing and what ratings you should get. Your self-rating and 360-degree feedback from others are just different ways to confirm their perceptions.

Another secret is that most managers actually do not enjoy the performance review either, given all the expectations, weight and tension that might go into the exercise. It’s a heavy topic for them.

That said, there are three things I would suggest you pay more attention to, to get the most out of it:

1. Identify your weak spots and turn them into opportunities.

During reviews, I see far too many people spend too much time bragging about their achievements and strengths. Instead, I would suggest listing your weaknesses and coming up with a proactive proposal for areas of development.

The trick here is that you are setting yourself up to demonstrate your self-awareness and readiness for further career advancement. For example, instead of demanding a leadership role, you can suggest additional responsibilities. For example: “I have developed strong project management skills in the past years, but I’m still lacking people management experience. I’d like to develop this facet and lead a small team. Even if this might lead to a reduced scope, I would be willing to try and build that capability. Would you support this endeavor?”

Doing this accomplishes three objectives: You acknowledge your weakness, display initiative by wanting to work on it and put yourself in a position for success down the road.

2. Don’t get into a defensive mode in any scenario.

A boss I respected highly once told me that performance reviews are psychologically stressful for him. He had to keep listing down all his reasons for each staff’s appraisal, many of whom came in ready for a bruising battle. He told me I was his favorite because I always displayed calmness and agreed with whatever feedback and rating he gave me.

This has a great psychological effect, as it instantly puts your manager in your corner. He or she might even feel obligated to give you more than you expected since you are always contributing without asking for anything in return.

On the flip side, if your manager lists down areas you are lacking in that surprise you, don’t view it as an attack. Often, managers solicit opinions about you from peers and colleagues. You don’t have to agree on everything, but you should take feedback constructively. As people say, “Correct mistakes if you have committed them and guard against them if you have not.” Some feedback is just people’s perceptions, and knowing those perceptions will help you identify the gaps and how to address them to build a better impression.

The moment you get defensive, it ruins the whole point of the performance review and only makes both sides upset. And in most cases, you get nothing out of it.

3. Rate yourself with a bit more humility.

As said, your managers already know the ratings they are going to give you even before the performance review season. Most staff will give themselves better-than-average appraisals, believing it’ll help their causes. However, this might also give your managers a headache.

By giving yourself a humble rating, you give your managers breathing room to assess your contribution properly. If you give yourself a higher rating, it immediately puts them on the defensive. They would have to think of why they cannot give you the score you want.

But if you don’t pressure your managers and make them feel in control, it can incline them to give you a better or at least a fair performance appraisal. Also, always credit your bosses for your achievements, for your success is their success too.

Now, back to the first question. The best thing you can get out of the performance review is not a better rating, salary increase or promotion, which are what you’ll probably get regardless of the exercise.

The best thing you can get is actually trust between you and your manager. The way you deal with the performance review will help them assess your level of maturity, self-awareness and, most importantly, how much you trust them. I hope by now you have a different perspective about performance reviews and see this more as a chance to build better trust with your managers. And what else is more valuable than trust?

Note: This article was contributed by Chris Lee to the Forbes Business Council as one of its members. The original article on Forbes can be found here .