Performance Documentation: Better for Backward Thinking Than Moving Forward

Don’t wait for reviews or passively hope for feedback. Take control of your growth with these two strategies:

Can documenting your work really boost your career? The WSJ says yes—but here’s why I disagree

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal published an article titled “Keep Performance Notes to Bolster Career Goals,” suggesting that employees should document their performance year-round to prepare for reviews, get promoted—or even defend themselves if placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). While documenting your work might seem helpful, does it truly solve the challenges of managing your performance and advancing your career?

Raslyn C. Wooten, featured in the article, shared how meticulous documentation helped her defend herself when placed on a PIP. She even launched Jobminder365, an app to streamline workplace documentation. But while documentation can help reflect on accomplishments, it often misses a critical element: behavioral expectations. Issues like communication, collaboration, and professionalism are harder to track—and even harder for managers to address.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with documenting your work. It can be a great way to reflect on your accomplishments and prepare for meaningful conversations. However, relying solely on documentation often misses the bigger picture. Performance challenges frequently stem from unmet behavioral expectations—like communication, collaboration, professionalism, or tone—areas you might not even realize are causing issues. Unfortunately, documenting tasks, projects, and accomplishments alone can’t address these critical gaps.

Don’t Stay in the Dark: Clarity Beats Documentation Every Time

Whether you’re eager to advance in your career—earning a promotion, taking on more responsibility, increasing your salary, securing a bigger title—or worried about meeting expectations and avoiding negative feedback or a PIP, clarity is essential. You can’t afford to stay in the dark about how you’re performing or what specific actions will set you apart.

What Holds Us Back?

1. Reviewing the past: Most organizations still rely on outdated methods like annual reviews. These systems don't provide the timely clarity you need to understand and amplify your performance.
2. As for online performance tools? Sure, they’re great for rating your Uber and Doordash driver, but they’re not the answer for meaningful performance conversations. The kind of feedback that truly helps you grow requires real, voice-to-voice dialogue—not drop-down menus, forms, or star ratings.
3. But I'm having conversations with my manager...While you’re likely having regular conversations with your manager or team, they’re often focused on tasks, projects, and day-to-day work.
4. Let’s be honest—most managers aren’t proactively sharing meaningful feedback. Reminding managers to "give feedback early and often" isn't enough. Studies show that only 6% of managers regularly provide this kind of guidance.

What’s missing?

Higher-level discussions about your strengths, ways to adjust behaviors or actions, and growth opportunities. Without these kinds of insights, you’re left in the dark about:

• Your strengths. You likely have a positive impact you’re entirely unaware of.
• Behavioral gaps. We act with the best intentions, believing our behaviors make sense, but we may unknowingly display actions that others perceive negatively.
• How and what to improve. Without actionable feedback, you risk stagnating or missing out on career opportunities.

If advancing your career is your priority—whether it’s a promotion, more responsibility, a bigger title, or making more money—it’s easy to feel stuck waiting. Waiting for an annual review, being blindsided by negative feedback or a PIP, or getting overlooked for an internal position leaves you feeling powerless. But you don’t have to wait—you are in charge.        

#1: Ask Proactive, Targeted Questions

Ask proactive, targeted questions instead of waiting for feedback or defensively documenting your performance. But not just any questions—avoid generic ones like, “How am I doing?” which often lead to equally generic answers like, “You’re doing great.”

Instead, try these:

1. “What’s one thing I’m doing right now that’s working and I should continue?”
2. “What’s one thing I can do to be even more effective?”

These questions open the door to meaningful, forward-focused feedback and help you align your performance with expectations.

2. Assess and Amplify Your Performance Without Waiting for Annual Reviews and Ratings

You don’t need to rate or document past performance. Instead, focus on where you are now to uncover your positive impact and clarify what you can do to be even more effective moving forward.

That’s where the Employee Performance Continuum comes in. This visual model, developed by Jamie Resker, combines:

1. Work Results: Meeting goals, demonstrating skills, and fulfilling responsibilities.
2. Observable Behaviors: Actions, tone, and approach aligned with organizational values.

This framework helps you and your manager:

• Spotlight your strengths and contributions.
• Identify actionable opportunities to refine and elevate your impact.
• Keep conversations collaborative and focused on growth, not criticism.

Curious about how the Continuum works? Download the worksheet here and click below for the video explainer.

It’s Time to Rethink Feedback and Documentation

Waiting for annual reviews or defensively documenting your work isn’t the answer. Real growth comes from consistent, constructive conversations and proactive self-management.

What’s your take? Are we relying too much on outdated performance tools and processes? HR pros, how often do managers request a PIP without directly conversing with their employees first?