Performance appraisal season can be stressful, but there are ways employees can set themselves up for success.
According to career coach Sarah Baker Andrus, the best thing employees can do for themselves is to practice “emotion management.”
She says staying calm and engaged during a meeting will leave a good impression, but being defensive or flustered can leave a bad impression.
And you’re probably not the only one feeling nervous, says Andrus. Many managers dread performance review season because “no one wants to give anyone negative feedback.”
How you handle a performance review can “determine your relationship with your boss” going forward, so it’s important to get it right, she says.
According to Andrus, here are some common performance review mistakes that employees should avoid.
enter unprepared
Andrus says employees should go into their performance evaluations “thinking about what helped them win, what they contributed, and what they could have done better.”
One common mistake Andrus sees is when employees simply copy their past year’s self-evaluation rather than writing a new one.
“It sends a signal that you’re not keen on growth and development,” she says. “That’s a big mistake.”
Employees should view self-evaluation as “a record of their performance for others to reference,” Andrus says.
That’s why it’s important to take the time to thoroughly fill out your self-assessment and prepare any materials you’d like to show off in advance of the meeting.
“It’s not just a piece of paper. Everyone hates it, but you have to take it seriously or you won’t take yourself seriously,” she says.
react negatively to feedback
Andrus says it’s a “big red flag” when someone immediately starts discussing feedback during a performance review.
As an employee, “the important thing is not to react in the moment,” she says.
Andras admits that receiving negative feedback can be difficult. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t be emotional; we all have emotions,” she says, but she recommends taking a deep breath before responding.
Andrus says that when he disagrees with criticism, he likes to say something like, “That’s a shame.”
Instead of starting a discussion, she recommends following up with, “I’m not sure if you agree with this, but do you mind if we continue the conversation later?”
It’s okay to disagree, but reacting strongly in a situation “doesn’t help anyone” and could damage your relationship with your boss, she says.
I’m going off topic
Another common mistake Andrus sees is when employees “bring up issues or issues that merit a meeting themselves,” such as conflicts with co-workers or scheduling concerns, during performance reviews.
Most of the time, when something like this happens, “both sides at the table share responsibility,” she says. Managers should meet with employees frequently so that they can discuss issues as they arise.
“If you don’t meet regularly, it’s easy for your staff to want to come in and say, ‘Oh my god, it’s finally on her calendar. Here’s a list of other things we need to talk about,'” Andrus says during performance reviews.
Andrus advises his employees to focus on the topic at hand. Performance review meetings are an opportunity to discuss your professional goals and growth opportunities for the coming year. “Time is limited,” she says.
That’s why it’s important to “raise issues as they arise, rather than waiting for performance reviews,” she says.
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