Performance Review Preparation

It's not actually cheating to prepare well for a performance review. If you want to be considered by your boss as professional and worthy of promotion - it's mandatory!

Perhaps it was a hang-over from my University study days, however earlier in my career, I was frequently guilty of doing all my pre-performance review preparation a few days before the actual meeting. I didn’t slow down to think through the opportunity that the meeting presented to me. So I didn’t ask questions that framed and encouraged my future success. I felt as if the sooner it could be over and done with - the better!

Of course your performance review can be so much more than that. It is not just an opportunity to demonstrate what value you bring to your organisation, it’s also a moment to get your bosses agreement to progress your career.

By preparing well, you can discuss your performance efficiently, leaving time for a fulsome discussion on options for the next best steps for your career. Moving left to right, here is how I used to plan my performance review meetings.

Yes I hear you, perhaps it's your bosses meeting, but seriously now, when did they ever forward you an agenda for a performance review? I encourage you to have a rough outline of what you want to discuss, so you can get what YOU need from this meeting. Don't let a busy boss be the reason you wait to take your next career step. Of course you are going to negotiate it with them, the key thing here is to have a plan.

Before I get to that meeting (usually the week before) I would prepare my documentation and really think through my achievements for the year. I challenge myself to think through each area of work / initiative systematically, so I can be consistent in my assessment. That consistency also helps me to feel confident about my overall level of performance. It also means that I can be thoughtful about identifying whether or not my performance is worthy of a bonus, or where I perhaps need to put effort into improving. 

The graphic on this blog shows each of the 'success criteria' that I used over many years to systematically think through what worked and what didn't.

Pro-tip: If you have your file open on your desktop all the way through the year and once a week or once a month, you update relevant details, then there is no last minute rush to pull it all together.  Yay! 👏  For workplaces which have their own templates, keeping track of your work also makes it much easier to complete any formal documentation.