📋 Adult report cards

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💢 Bad appraisals sting

Getting a poor performance review sucks. Even if you were anticipating the bad news, hearing it come out of your manager’s mouth can sting. It can also take a toll on your well-being and even affect your productivity.

You may feel a mixture of disappointment, anger or even embarrassment, especially if you thought you were on the right track from working your butt off for the whole year. 

Such feelings are entirely natural, and the first step towards addressing them is to acknowledge them, says Jamie MacLennan, senior vice-president and managing director, Asia-Pacific of Telus Health, a provider of mental-health and well-being support for companies.

“And it’s certainly not the end of a career,” he tells Thrive. 

While your manager is giving you your appraisal, it’s important to avoid reacting emotionally or defensively, says human resources expert Adrian Tan.

Even if you disagree with the feedback, avoid arguing or making excuses at that point and try to understand things from your manager’s point of view, he says. “Because if you overreact, I think that’s it. In the future, you can expect not to have any kind of constructive feedback ever again.”

Instead, take the time to objectively reflect on what your manager has told you. Was what my manager said valid? What can I do to improve for the next time?

It can help to reach out to different mentors, colleagues, your company’s human resources department or even take advantage of any available employee assistance programme to talk things through confidentially, MacLennan adds.

👓 Reviewing your reviews

So you’ve taken the time to process your feelings and reflect. What next?

If you need to, schedule another meeting with your manager to ask any questions you have about the feedback you received. During this meeting, you can also share your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your thoughts on how you can improve in the future.

It’s reasonable to ask your manager for examples of when your performance fell short and how things could have been done differently, even if this may be difficult to hear again, says MacLennan. 

That way, you can better develop a clear and actionable plan to address the issues that were flagged in your appraisal. This can help you turn a poor performance review into an opportunity for growth and allow you to regain your professional confidence.

If, after reflection, you disagree with some things your manager said, or feel that the review was too unfairly focused on your shortcomings, having a follow-up conversation can also allow you to present your case with a clear head.

But be prepared to show evidence of your accomplishments, advises Tan. These may comprise projects you have completed,  as well as awards or positive feedback you have received over the past year. 

“(This) is why I always encourage people to keep a daily log of what they have completed in the day, because it’s impossible to remember in December what you accomplished in January,” he says.

✂️ Nip it in the bud

When you’re coming up with an action plan, Tan believes it’s better to play to your strengths rather than obsess over personal weaknesses that are hard to change. 

If these inherent weaknesses are the only things holding you back in your career, then you’re “most likely in the wrong job, or in one that emphasises your weaknesses, which doesn’t make sense”, he says. 

Set small, realistic goals that can be achieved so it won’t lead to disappointment and frustration. 

Especially with remote work these days, it’s helpful to have goals that are perceptible or measureable to show that you are making progress on your action plan, Tan says.

It’s also a good idea to show your plan to your manager, he adds. That’s because if your manager doesn’t support the plan, it won’t matter during your next performance review even if you accomplish all the goals you set for yourself.

Ultimately, learning to be open to feedback will be beneficial for your career growth.

Tan suggests making it a point to regularly approach your manager for feedback and not to wait until your manager comes to you with criticism. Doing so allows you to nip any issues in the bud and puts you in a good light. 

“Feedback can be painful, but that is how you learn and develop,” he says. (Having) that proactive approach to gather exactly where you’re falling short... might prevent you from having a disastrous performance review session that only comes once a year.”

TL;DR

• After a poor performance review, it’s natural to feel disappointed, angry or even embarrassed
• Avoid arguing and making excuses before you take the time to reflect on the feedback
• It’s helpful to schedule a follow-up session to clarify questions and work on an improvement plan
• In the future, consider approaching your manager for regular feedback