By: Ivette Arias
Director of Human Resources
BVARI
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Performance should be your top priority but
often even the best performers get
overlooked because they don’t know how to
market themselves.
To impress an immediate manager, give
specifics, about how your activities contribute
to the larger goals.
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It is not enough to say that you’ve done a
bunch of stuff. You have to connect these
activities to important business objectives.
Only then do they become accomplishments.
If you want to arm yourself, bring hard data.
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Hopefully your reviewer keeps up with
important management and psychological
trends and will understand the “door and the
window” concept.
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They may have a list of things that they must
ask but, like any other interview, you will be
more impressive if you can take and hold the
stage. The worst thing you can do is sit there
and say “yes” or “no”.
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You want to send the signal that you are not
only good at your job, but that you also have
some ideas about how the broader objectives
(those beyond the scope of your tasks) can be
achieved.
You aren’t going to get fired. You aren’t
going to get grilled. It is going to be a loose
format where demeanor and poise may count
for more than substance. Being cool-underfire may be the most important trait your
reviewer is looking for. This is absolutely
critical because it is a cornerstone of
perception management.
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Make your goals your mission for the year.
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Keep goals current and visible, and track
progress and contributions
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Update your goals to reflect changes in your
roles and responsibilities.
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Goals are set to achieve work-based objectives,
but they can also yield personal growth rewards,
in professional, development, and earnings
potential.
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Many employees believe that they'll get a
good review and a hefty raise if they simply
list everything they did during the year. Guess
what? Most of that stuff is what you're already
paid to do.
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If that's the situation, organize your notes,
files, and correspondence and create a short
(one- or two-page) document that lays out
your view of:
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If you can foresee what might be addressed,
it's a good idea to document what you're
already doing to be more successful in that
area. It shows you take full ownership and
you see the need to improve and the reason
for getting better.
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Everybody has challenges and makes
mistakes, and your boss knows this. Listen to
feedback -- both negative and positive -with an open mind. Show a willingness to
learn from your missteps.
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If you don’t have access to the tools or training
needed to achieve an objective, be sure to ask for it.
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Remember that no one pays closer attention to your
work than you.
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Document your accomplishments and make your
boss aware of milestone accomplishments.
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If you reach a stumbling block on the way, seek
advice on how to best resolve the issue and continue
on your path. Be sure to follow-up and ensure that
things are moving along.
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Your performance review is your best, if not your
only, opportunity to get a clear understanding of how
you are perceived and what you need to do to ensure
your future success.
It is to your advantage to seek out the calendar
scheduler for your supervisor and ensure that you
have a set date and time for your review. Please do
not wait for them to schedule a time to meet.
Dress like you are going to an interview, this will
show that you are prepared and take this evaluation
very seriously.