How to Respond to a Performance Evaluation
Receiving a performance evaluation at work can be a nerve wracking experience. Spending time preparing for your review can make you rest easier as well as ensure you are able to bring up key accomplishments and achievements during your evaluation with your manager.
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Instructions
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Prepare a list of the goals you have met since your last performance evaluation and take this list with you to the meeting with your manager. In addition to accomplishments, list your strengths and weaknesses. This demonstrates to your boss that you are conscientious and aim to perform well for the company. It also allows you to address some issues during your performance review rather than having to schedule a meeting at a later date if you arrive without these materials.
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Remain calm and do not become defensive when your manager points out weaknesses and shortcomings. If you have already developed a weaknesses list of your own, you have had time to think about how you will address them. If your manager brings up the same weakness, agree with him and then detail your plan of how you are going to improve it. Ask your manager for ideas and support as you work on your weaknesses.
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Ask for examples. If your manager is vague about areas of improvement or goals that were not met, ask for specific examples. It could be that what your manager perceives as a weakness was only a one time event. When asked for examples, he may realize that it is not a continual issue. If it is an area where you need to focus, specific past cases of the behavior will help you to better understand what needs to be improved.
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Request that your areas of improvement and future goals be written down along with a timeline so that you will both be on the same page for future progress. Ask your manager for a meeting in a few months to discuss how you are doing in reaching your new goals and improving on any weaknesses. By doing this, it is more likely the issues will be resolved before your next performance evaluation and you will receive a better review.
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Focus only on your own behavior and work performance during the review. If you blame other colleagues for a weakness or a project that did not go as planned, it shows a lack of professionalism on your part. Acknowledge your own role in the mistake, agree on a plan to address it and move on.
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Review your list of accomplishments with your manager. This is particularly important if he has focused more on your weaknesses rather than your strengths. Your boss may have forgotten about achievements and projects you completed since your last review. This is your time to remind him of what you have done for the company and toot your own horn.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have a difficult manager, ask for a representative from human resources to be present during your evaluation.
