Annual Performance Review: Know how to discuss without being overbearing
updated the 13 June 2014 à 00:02Your yearly performance review is a time to highlight your strengths, and admit to the things you were less successful with during the past year. Master the technique of discussion and self-improvement, without seeming disagreeable.
Nobody is trying to put you in custody – reviews are just a reflection upon the year between an employer and an employee. There is no reason to be defensive, so spit out the fangs and cast away the claws that are braced for attack. Otherwise, your boss is going to get bored after ten minutes and nothing constructive will emerge from the meeting. “You are a contributor to value, so it only serves mutual gain to listen to what your seniors tell you, and share what you think as well. You should not be coming in with claims but with ideas for areas of improvement,” advises Hervé Aulner. Be – what we call in business-lingo – the “think-tank”, the idea generator.” Obviously, we should also refrain from throwing colleagues under the bus (that’s primary school knowledge) or telling your boss that he is a #1 a**hole (believe it or not, this has happened before). It is always best not to throw accusations around. Here more than anywhere else, a touch of diplomacy is appreciated.
Our tips for a successful annual performance review:
Keep track of your performance in the company
Optimize your meeting time
Stop stressing out!
Fight for your due, without asking for the impossible
Be firm in your stand
Valérie Rodrigue
