Staying Positive after a Negative Job Appraisal
A negative job appraisal is too much to swallow even for the calmest person alive! It can so happen that one bright and sunny morning Mr. Perfect can be slammed with a not so good performance evaluation sheet. What does he do then? It is definitely all right to be baffled and exasperated. Get over it soon. It’s pay-back time. Having said that you should remain professional while dealing with a bad review. It sounds a hard nut to crack but it can be done.
Read your evaluation carefully and try to understand what was expected of you and what you failed to deliver. It is important to learn to absorb criticism. Do not just jump into deductions and make a hasty decision. If you can’t agree with certain points made about you, feel free to discuss them with your boss. While doing so make sure your claims are substantiated by evidence. You certainly don’t want to be told off again! For instance, if your boss rated you unsatisfactory in “multitasking ability”, remind him of the time when you successfully handled a variety of tasks simultaneously.
It’s not always easy to get scored highly in all aspects of your job responsibilities. Learn to accept your flaws but at the same time, cite occasions when you compensated one particular drawback with other overpowering skills. Be subtle when you do that. You may not want to sound either too complacent or too yielding. You can ask for specific details of how and when you came short. If you disagree make an effort to put forward your point of view without being too obstinate. Only a healthy argument is good. Don’t make it fat.
Be composed and unruffled. Do not let anger or frustration direct you to do something foolhardy. Do not do something whimsical even if you think that the appraisal was unfair. You certainly don’t barge in to your manager’s room and start arguing with him. You can’t afford to do something that would lead to a crisis and if it’s not your day you could possibly be saying goodbye to your precious job.
Learning from mistakes and not repeating them is what professionals do. Disputing hard facts is next to impossible. Admit your faults to yourself if you really were negligent in terms of fulfilling your duties and responsibilities. Be open to discuss the issues with your superior and ask for suggestions and guidance.Dennis Garritan, an associate professor of human resources management at New York University said, “If you think your review is unfair, there's no point suffering it in silence. You don't want a negative review in your file, and the only way to do something about it is to speak up." Chances are that he will cordially guide you through, if you hadn’t disgruntled him already for other reasons. Your boss, most of the time, is not your enemy. He is just the jockey who wants his horse to run faster and doesn’t even want it to gasp for air. Your team members or colleagues can come in handy here. If you really want to better your potentials seek help from them or ask for feedback. They are watching you closely.
A well written response is one of the most effective ways to defend yourself. You should respond in black and white even if it is not called for. A concise and well argued response might change your manager’s view. Who knows, he may even consider reversing his review!
Focusing on the future is the key after doing all you can and should. Getting stuck in the past would possibly make you even more demoralized and there is a high likelihood that it’s going to affect your future performance. Ask yourself what specifically can I do to be a competent employee. Think of the things that you should have done but you didn’t. Work on them. It’s as simple as this, isn’t it?
