It is always surprising to hear how many people dread their performance review or appraisal or annual chat, whatever their company chooses to call it.
The main reason for this trepidation is usually due to the lack of appreciation about how important it is to know yourself as an employee.
Taking time out to consider what impact you have really had during the past 12 months, can give you so many useful insights. The more aware you are from these insights, the more forearmed you will be to respond to any questions and feedback. It also gives you the opportunity to cover all the good things that you have achieved and ask for training that you need in the areas that you feel you need support with.
Not surprisingly, the more honest you are about yourself as an employee, the better the conversation usually goes. What is often missed is how much your Manager may also be dreading carrying out your review too, and this is why…
- They may not be used to sitting down for this length of time in a discussion with you, so the prospect may seem uncomfortable to them.
- They may lack confidence if they are new to this process
- They may be disappointed with what you have achieved and are concerned about how to tell you.
- They may want to give you a change of direction for the new year and not know how you will respond
- They will have a clear line of sight as to how you can best support them, but they may be worried that you are not on the same page or
- They will have some really positive feedback and be concerned that it may not come across as genuine or worse – you ask for a pay rise at that point.
Please note: reviews are not the time to request a pay rise, but prepare properly for your review and these could be the conversations that may influence one for you in the future.
So, how can you prepare? Commit some quiet time and use these questions to help you
With regards to your performance:
- What do you enjoy the most about working for your company?
- Which were your proudest moments in the past 12 months?
- What enabled you to perform well?
- Who helped you the most and what impact did that have on you?
- Who did you support the most and why?
- What were your biggest barriers last year?
- What disappointed you the most with your own achievements?
- How would you like things to be different for you next year?
- What would you like to learn or be given the opportunity to do?
- What else would you like to focus on at work for you to feel more successful?
Taking answers such as these into any annual review should boost your confidence, making it easier for both parties to have a more open two way discussion. Your Manager will be very grateful that you have put such thought into how you have performed, so a new level of trust and understanding should emerge and in turn this should give you a whole new sense of direction and purpose to your own workplace success.
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