Turning a Poor Performance Review into something Positive
The annual ordeal known as the performance review is an unsettling time for all parties concerned. For senior managers conducting and writing the reviews it is an onerous responsibility fraught with difficult choices. How to praise without creating complacency, and worse still, how to criticize without demotivating? For the employee on the receiving end, a good review can mean a salary increase, but a poor performance review, especially if unexpected, can be shattering.
Making unsubstantiated complaints or taking the ultimate step of resigning from your job are the worst possible reaction to a poor performance review. You will be perceived as being unable to take constructive criticism, and if you resign at this point you are unlikely to receive a good reference from your present employer. You will also need to invent a reason for your departure to include in your résumé. So even if you do plan to move on, don’t do so until you have responded correctly to this review. There are three things you should do.
Ask for a further interview
It is normal to be nervous during your performance review interview, especially if this is your first opportunity to read what your manager has written about you. Add to this the disagreeable sensation of finding out that your performance has not met expectations, and it is not surprising that all the sensible and intelligent questions you should have asked are lost in a muddle of self-justification. Seeking to defend yourself is natural but not particularly helpful. It is unlikely to change your supervisor’s mind. What you really need are precise details of your incorrect behavior, and inaccurate or deficient performance, resulting in the poor performance review. So if you failed to obtain this information the first time, ask for a second interview and prepare your questions beforehand. By doing this you will demonstrate that you have taken the criticism on board and are prepared to do what is necessary to improve.
Request assistance and training
The reason for your poor performance may be that you are inadequately qualified or trained for the position you occupy. Even if you obtained qualifications or underwent training in the past, your skills may now be out of date. A poor performance review may be the stimulus you needed to stop floundering and seek help. Ask your boss to help you identify your most serious weaknesses and an appropriate training course to rectify them. With luck your employer will give you time away from your workplace to attend the classes, and also pay the course fees. If not, evening or weekend courses at your own expense may be an option. They will give you the skills required for a better job elsewhere, and the tuition fees may be tax deductible. If formal training is not available, ask your supervisor if it is possible to have an in-house mentor to provide you with guidance.
Turn it around
One bad review is not the end of your career. It is unlikely that the news was all bad, because even the toughest boss can usually find something nice to say, otherwise they would be sending you on your way out the door. Take these positive points and build on them, because they are your strengths. Tackle your weaknesses with training or a mentor program, and by making a conscious effort to rectify them, one at a time. When you feel you have achieved a satisfactory performance level in an area previously identified as ineffective, don’t be afraid to draw your manager’s attention to the improvement. It might be something as simple as better timekeeping or a tidier workspace, but recognition of your efforts will spur you on to the next challenge.
Turn your poor performance review into an opportunity instead of a setback. Be grateful that an objective view has been presented to you, since it is often difficult for the individual to stand back and make an impartial assessment of personal limitations. By being positive and forward-looking instead of pessimistic and defensive, you will place yourself in a position to become the employee your boss, or even better, your future boss, always wanted.
