Yahoo lists five ways to make your performance review discussion a success as follows:
- Ask questions -- Always press for details, says Gail Ginder, an executive coach with the Claros Group.
- Tell your story -- If you disagree with your boss' assessment of your performance, ask if you can tell your side of the story.
- Play it by ear -- It's generally a good idea to discuss your future with your boss at your review. But if you're blindsided by criticism of your performance, it may be better to save that for another day.
- Don't sweat the small stuff -- You don't have to explain or discuss every minor improvement your boss thinks you could make.
- Follow up -- If you are surprised by a negative review and want some time to reflect before discussing it, ask your boss for more time. "Your boss knew it was coming," Civitelli said. "You may have to say, 'I need some time to think about these things.'"
Ok, broken record time for me.
If you have managed your career/boss correctly prior to the review, then there shouldn't be any surprises when you meet with your boss -- it should simply be a more formal part of an on-going conversation you're having with him/her about the expectations for your position, how you're doing against them, etc.
Prior to my annual reviews, I usually list my accomplishments (making them as quantifiable as possible) next to my goals for the year. I then send my boss a copy a few days before the review so he can see it as well.
That's how I usually do it. This year he had to move the review up a week at the last moment, so I didn't get to send him my thoughts in advance (I had been working on them but thought I had a couple more days.) But his review caught them all anyway. I guess he's reading those weekly updates. ;-)
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