How To Prep For Your Performance Review

You always remember the first time your boss calls you into his office.

I was 17 and had been working in sales part-time for a bottled water company. My boss called me into his office to discuss “how the job was going.” I probably held my breath the whole time and still do whenever a client reviews my work. But, given that performance reviews are a necessary part of professional life, I am forcing a reboot on the way I think of them. And I think you should too.

What if instead of dreading the review you actually looked forward to it?

For those of you who want to get ahead in your career, this review is a key opportunity to learn how to do just that. Plus, there’s that whole mandatory thing. So shift your perspective on this meeting to start thinking of it as a way to highlight your previous accomplishments and future ambitions. Here are some ways you can prepare for your review and ensure its success:

Keep a Work Journal

If you do not already have a work journal, now is a great time to start! “Dear work diary, this week I…” Use it to record your achievements and challenges on a weekly basis. This will serve internally as a great basis for your performance review as well externally to help you market yourself. Make sure to read through your journal every month or so to ensure that you are staying on track with both your short- and long-term career goals.

Draft Your Own Review

Prior to your review with management, draft your own self-assessment. Consider the job description, performance goals, expectations, and any other materials specific to your role. Be honest about your achievements as well as your (much learned from, of course) failures over the course of the review period. Share your assessment with your supervisor in advance of the review so she can compare it to her own.

Review previous reviews

Spend some time going over your evaluations, including expectations and goals, from previous years. See how well your work stacked up against the goals set during the prior year’s performance review. Make sure that you can speak knowledgeably about what was expected of you and how you (hopefully) surpassed those standards. If you haven’t met the objectives set for you, then be prepared to acknowledge why and what changes you plan to implement going forward.

Solicit Feedback

Start a dialogue with colleagues, direct reports, clients, and others regarding your performance. By creating these lines of communication, you establish yourself as concerned and cooperative. Hearing about your work product from multiple perspectives helps you to understand the gaps better so you can fill them. And, you open the door for someone to come to you before a little problem becomes a big one. Ask for people to put compliments or positive reviews into writing, perhaps even on a LinkedIn recommendation. Also, thank people for any constructive criticism.

Anticipate Negative Feedback

Speaking of that negative feedback, you might as well expect it. While it may sting initially, hearing about your specific areas for improvement can be incredibly helpful for your career growth. Remember to take deep breaths and avoid a defensive stance. Should you believe the feedback to be false or unfounded, give yourself some time before you respond to it. Use the feedback to your advantage and demonstrate your willingness to learn from past mistakes.

Ask questions

During the review, be sure to directly engage in the meeting. Don’t just “yes” your way through it. Think of this meeting as being as much for you as for your manager. Ask your manager these key questions:

• What are the expectations for coming year?
• Where would you like to see improvement in my performance?
• How can I advance at this company?

Showing your commitment to your employer and your own career growth is beneficial in your evaluation and beyond.

Collaborate on goals

Work with management to come up with challenging yet realistic objectives for the coming year. Make sure to incorporate that prime assignment, training, or schedule change that you’ve been coveting. Create a strict timeline for the execution of these goals so that you have regular status checks before your next performance review. After the meeting send a copy of these goals to your supervisor so that you can start the next review period on the same page.