Approach bad review practically
Note concerns, make plan to improve, keep communication with boss open
You can make a bad situation worse when talking to your boss after a poor performance review. Think for a few seconds before saying anything. “The first mistake we make is to respond emotionally. We are human and we need to be loved,” says Laurie Ruettimann, a human-resources consultant. “A poor review hurts our heart and cracks our ego; however, you cannot explain your way out of a poor performance review.
“Just like the Olympics, your performance has been assessed and you cannot sway the judges. It’s not a debate,” she says. “Bythe time you hear your review, it’s too late to fix it.”
If you receive criticism, pay attention to the feedback, says Alison Green, author of the Ask a Manager blog.
“Too often, people get so focused on how to defend themselves — or even just on panicking — that they forget to really listen to what they’re being told about what they need to do differently.” Green says. “Understanding your manager’s concerns is crucial to a good outcome here. ... Listen, and ask enough questions that you truly know what you’re being asked to change.”
The tough part: Honestly consider what you’re being told to determine whether criticisms of your performance are true, she says. Figure out what might be causing problems if you want to move forward.
“Honestly, it’s not enough to address the deficit,” Ruettimann says. “You must improve your performance and exceed expectations in order to redeem yourself.”
Your best bet: Immediately apologize for your poor performance, make a plan and demonstrate a goodfaith effort to change your behaviors and skills, she says.
However, be wary of a manager who is dismissive of any plans you have to improve, Green says.
“That’s a sign that she may have moved past the stage of wanting to be constructive and is instead using the meeting as a formality before she can let you go,” Green says.
If you can’t get direction on specific actions you need to take and the feedback seems vague or subjective, that’s also a bad sign, Green says.
“It might not indicate that your manager is actively trying to get rid of you, but it certainly indicates that you’re not being set up to succeed,” she says.
When you’re trying to improve your performance, Ruettimann suggests asking other people for help.
“People forgive employees who are trying quicker than they forgive workers with bad attitudes,” she says.
If you do receive a poor evaluation, don’t worry about its haunting you for the rest of your time with an employer, preventing you from getting ahead, Ruettimman says.
“A bad job review haunts you with your current supervisor; however, those supervisors can, and will, leave the company,” she says. “Turnover works in your favor.”
Yet relying on a supervisor to leave to combat a bad review is a horrible strategy, she says. You would be better served by tackling your problems head-on.
After a less-than-stellar review, remember to keep communications open even though you may want to go into hiding.
Talk more to your boss to ensure she is aware of steps you’re taking to improve your performance. Keep her informed of instances where you solved a difficult issue.
Also, remember that workers often are blindsided with poor reviews when they’ve done a poor job of communicating with the boss, preventing them from spotting problems earlier.