NOTHING Is 'Decided' During Your Performance Review: What to know and do

If you follow the official company performance review process – you’re not part of its DECISION MAKING – only its INFORMATION SHARING part. They inform you about their perception of your performance and suitability for a raise or promotion – decisions made months before this much-anticipated non-event. In turn, you inform them of your unpleasant surprise, but your body language screams shock and hurt.

You wait for months for that one-hour HR’s darling performance evaluation only to be cold-showered by disappointment. If you’re a perfectionist or struggle with impostor syndrome, you might welcome their findings as the final confirmation of your perceived inadequacy. But if you’re grounded in reality, your manager’s lower performance evaluation – whether intentional or not – will feel like an ice bath.

Why do managers resort to this? Too many reviews to conduct? Do they see you as a threat? Do they lack the information? Do they simply not care about you or the process? Or maybe, given tight budgets, it’s easier to downplay your expectations than to refuse a raise and risk your nervous breakdown?

Consequences? Lost Goodwill

What happens next? Some quit immediately, infuriated by it all. Others bide their time with lingering resentment, deciding to ‘punish’ the company for its lack of integrity by leaving with the first job offer. But in doing so, they also punish themselves. They lose the painstakingly acquired knowledge of company-specific processes and established productive relationships. Starting over at a new job means facing that all-too-familiar feeling in the gut – anxiety about fitting in and proving oneself again.

Building Your Portfolio of Achievements: A Practical Guide

How can you mitigate inherent risks associated with this process and manage your manager? Here’s how:

1. Create and Regularly Update Your Record of Achievements: Keep a private document to log every commendation or accomplishment while it’s still fresh in your mind. This practice will help you compile an impressive record of your successes.
2. Make It Clear and Concise: Describe your technical accomplishments succinctly, including how they integrate into projects or the bigger picture. When done, you’re ready to polish them – as described below.
3. For Every Documented Success, Keep Asking “Why is this important?” Continue this inquiry until your answer aligns with your North Star – the company’s overarching goal or mission. That last answer should be your first line of each entry, easily understood by someone outside your field—like C-level executives. Such clear articulation of your work’s real impact will transcend roles and demonstrate how your contributions save or generate money for the company. Ultimately, this practice will be priceless for your career!

By consistently updating your accomplishments, you’ll experience several benefits. Your confidence in your abilities and contributions will soar. The energy you gain from this process will be invaluable during discussions about your future. Your body language will align with your arguments for a raise or promotion, and those arguments will be backed up by your well-formulated personal performance review. When it’s time for HR to step in, the discussion may last just a few minutes – perhaps even over a celebratory drink! ??

The Benefits of Tracking Your Accomplishments

Let’s summarize the key benefits of tracking your accomplishments:

1.??? Increases your confidence,?potentially alleviating impostor syndrome!

2.??? Prepares you?for proactive performance reviews.

3.??? Equips you?for conflicts with evidence-based arguments.

4.??? Requires just one initial setup; regular updates are quick and simple.

5.??? Reminds you?of your contributions and skills with each update.

6.??? Fuels productive dialogues with key stakeholders.

By recording your successes in such an articulate manner, you demonstrate a deep awareness of how your role contributes to and fits within the complex workings of your organization. This level of insight is rare and won’t go unnoticed. Ultimately, it has the potential to elevate your career to heights you thought impossible.

Proactive Strategies

Each month, share your accomplishments with your manager. It’s easy –? just copy-paste certain parts from your ‘Portfolio of Achievements’ and modify them as needed. Regular updates keep your manager in the loop, reinforce your contributions, and keep you visible – and shining. Such ongoing communication can foster a closer relationship with your most important person in the company – your manager – and help ensure real-time recognition of your efforts. You’re also demonstrating that you’re not going to settle for the ‘official’ performance review.

Several months ahead of the official evaluation, invite your manager for a one-on-one meeting to discuss your goals and aspirations. This is where you can ask about your standing regarding those goals and lay out your case for promotion or raise. Remember how you related each success to your North Star in your Portfolio of Achievements? Take it to the next level! Prepare a short but persuasive PowerPoint presentation arguing how those successes have led to significant savings and/or revenues, streamlined processes, etc. Use departmental objectives and your quotas to strengthen your case.

If your manager resists such a meeting—like when mine said, “But Gordan! Your performance review is months away!? Why discuss now? I’m busy!”—respond confidently:

“Because performance evaluations only inform what management decided months in advance!” (Gordan Dzadzic, Coach)

It MUST be in writing: send a follow-up email summarizing key points, agreed-upon next steps, and any conclusions about future opportunities or responsibility changes. Attach that PowerPoint too. This ensures everyone is aligned. Though this doesn’t guarantee that your manager or company will fulfill the agreement, you’ll evade ‘he said, she said’ conflict and will have presented yourself as a prepared knowledgeable negotiator.

Take Action NOW!

Don’t wait for your next performance review to showcase your value—start tracking your accomplishments today! You have the power to ensure your contributions are seen and celebrated. Don’t wait for your boss; only you will take care of you. Here’s what to do:

1.??? Create Your Portfolio: Compile your achievements using the strategies outlined in this article. Include work samples and any awards or recognitions you’ve received.

2.??? Share Regularly: Update your document weekly, and your manager monthly. Regular communication reinforces your contributions and keeps you visible.

3.??? Prepare for Conversations: Initiate discussions about your goals armed with evidence of your successes. Use specific examples, data, and testimonials.

4.??? Elevate Your Career: Understanding how you fit into the bigger picture is rare in business. Show that you’re not just another cog in the machine, but an insightful contributor who drives the results.

Your first step?

Open a new Word document, name it “Portfolio of Achievements,” and write down your biggest accomplishment at your current company. This simple act can set the foundation for a powerful tool that will serve you throughout your career.

Struggling with your portfolio? Having difficulty accepting feedback? Email me at [email protected] to tackle the issue and set yourself on the right path.

About the Author

Gordan Dzadzic, the coach who’ll guide your ambitious mindset from emotional imbalance to strategic focus and success. With a top-to-bottom resume and transformative expertise (like REBT, NLP, TA, and more), he'll shatter your self-sabotages and refine your influence and impact. No babysitting, just results-driven personal and professional leadership development. Contact him for a free consultation. ?2024 Gordan Dzadzic, Coach and Management Consultant, All Rights Reserved

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