Help me! I got a bad job review
For the majority of the corporate world there are some sort of review process whether official or unofficial. This is the time when you are supposed to be given specific feedback on your performance and details of what you did well and need to improve on. For many of us, this happens at the end of the calendar year, however it varies depending on the company.
Today we are going to address reviews that did not go as well as you may have expected. We will start with this, if you DO NOT have a review scheduled or you are not aware of the concept then there is an action point for you to execute on. The responsibility is yours to ensure that you have at least a discussion about your progress, particularly if it is not part of your company's operational structure. We will deal with how to do so in another blog post, let us focus on the matter at hand.
What should you do if you get a bad review? By definition: a bad review is one where your perception of your performance is far better than that delivered during the review discussion. Let me add some context because as individuals we tend to have a bias that may cloud our perception and a review that brings a much needed reality check should not be considered entirely bad. That said the original definition of a bad review needs to be augmented: a bad review is one where your perception of your performance (with credible evidence, dates, projects, achievements, etc.) is far better than that delivered during the review discussion (a disparaging review void of evidence, overlooking your achievements, vindictive, etc).
In instances like these there is a clear disconnect between yourself and your manager. You are always free to query the validity of a review and it is prudent for you to track your performance and growth during the year and to always be prepared to partake in the review discussion. Regardless of the quality of the review a thorough and honest self-assessment should be done prior to the discussion which includes achievements, areas of weakness and strengths are highlighted.
In an ideal scenario, you should be getting regular feedback all year and the review should just be an official summary and goal setting exercise. However you can always take the extra precaution of writing your self-assessment and set up some time before review season to discuss with your manager so that they have all the information that you think they need to properly assess your performance.
Why is all of this important? The answer is in the form of another question. What is the result of a bad review? Missed promotions, little or no salary increases, little or no bonus, decreased opportunities for expansion/development, decreased responsibility, etc. The truth is that you cannot afford to be surprised at the end of the year because it can be a major setback to your career progress.
If the review is complete already, at least you should put in a request to discuss specifics again and this time come armed with your self-assessment, with dates and specifics. If it has not happened as yet, prepare a self- assessment and be prepared to share with your manager. If it is too late to do anything, start early for next year. Compile your notes and try to have as many regular discussions as possible and religiously seek feedback so that the review is not a total surprise. For more info on feedback, check out my book:
HOW TO MAKE IT FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE CUBICLE.
Until next time remember, As long as you have life, you should live it to your fullest potential.
